Consumer price index (CPI)
An index of the prices of a fixed basket of goods and services bought by households.
In plain words
The CPI tracks the cost of a fixed set of goods and services — the "basket" — over time. By setting the index to 100 in a base year, you can see at a glance how much prices have risen: CPI of 125 means prices are 25% above the base year level.
Frequently asked questions
What is CPI and how is it calculated?
CPI (Consumer Price Index) tracks the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services over time. Each month, price collectors survey thousands of outlets, then the index is computed as a weighted average of price relatives.
What is the difference between CPI and HICP?
HICP (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices) is the EU-standard version of CPI, designed for cross-country comparison. It excludes some owner-occupier housing costs and uses slightly different weighting methods.