Welcome to 'How to find Consumer Price Index or CPI data'. This tutorial aims to help you find Consumer Price Index data on the website and also to understand what it measures and how to use it.

The Consumer Price Index can be accessed several ways, but the easiest method is using the Consumer Price Index link found on the left hand navigation panel.

The Consumer Price Index measures change in the price of a wide range of consumer goods and services purchased by metropolitan households. These goods and services are divided into 11 main groups, including food, housing, and health. The rate of change in the Consumer Price Index is commonly quoted as an indicator of inflation in Australia.

The Summary tab opens on the Main Features page and provides you with the latest, key Consumer Price Index data. Finding other components of the publication is done using the left hand navigation window, and the tabs across the top. For instance, the Consumer Price Index is measured over a three month period and released quarterly. The Past and Future Releases tab will show you when the next releases is due and gives you access to previous issues. Back on the Summary tab.

The Consumer Price Index is calculated for the capital city of each state and territory and there is a weighted average of the eight capital cities. Figures are available for each of the main groups and for all groups combined.

The Capital Cities Comparison link provides the latest figures for each of the capital cities and provides a quick summary of the differences in change for each capital city from the previous quarter and the previous year. The capital city indexes measure price movements over time within each city. That means the index numbers themselves can't be used to compare between cities. If you are interested in comparisons between cities then you will need to compare the percentage changes for each city.

If you want to know which groups have influenced the changes click on 'Main Contributors to Change'.

The 'Selected Tables' link will take you a page of various index numbers and percentage changes for different time periods, including financial years and all quarters of the weighted average of eight capital cities back to 1985.

If you require more specific information go to the Downloads tab. More detail, including time series data, can be accessed from the list of Excel spreadsheets.

Indexation clauses are often used in contracts by businesses and government to adjust payments and charges to take account of changes in prices. If this is the reason you are using the Consumer Price Index please read the information found on the Price Indexes and Contract Price Indexation page, as there are a range of issues that should be taken into account when using an Indexation clause in a a contract.

If you need to calculate the percentage change between any two periods, use the method outlined in the Explanatory Notes tab.

For further information go to the Related Information tab. Here you can find a comprehensive guide to the Consumer Price Index, as well as other types of Price Indexes such as the House Price Index and Labour Price Index that may be more appropriate to your research.

Thank you for watching this tutorial, we hope you found it useful.