Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Impacts of COVID-19 on methodology
for the March 2021 quarter CPI
– Methods paper
1 April 2021
This page summarises the impacts of COVID-19
on the methodology used for the March 2021 quarter consumers price index
(CPI) following on from our December 2020 quarter paper (see Impacts
of COVID-19 on the methodology used for the December 2020 quarter CPI).
We focus on collection issues, imputation
to replace missing prices, reintroducing prices for missing items, reweighting
the CPI basket, and seasonal adjustment.
COVID-19 has created some unprecedented data
collection and methodological challenges for the CPI in 2020 and 2021.
In the March 2021 quarter, in-person collection of data from stores ceased
for two short periods in February and March, which meant contacting business
respondents was more difficult. We’re also reintroducing the prices for
an additional international airfare route (on top of the one reintroduced
last quarter) as more people start to fly as travel restrictions ease.
Visit our website to read this methods
paper: Impacts
of COVID-19 on methodology for the March 2021 quarter CPI
