MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO CHANGE
The PBLCI fell 0.2% for the December quarter 2011. Food and non–alcoholic beverages (–1.9%) made the largest contribution primarily due to decreases in fruit and vegetables.
Housing (+0.8%) contributed the most significant offset largely due to increases in rents.
The PBLCI (–0.2%) recorded a negative movement in the December quarter 2011 while the CPI recorded no change. Pensioner and beneficiary households have a relatively higher proportion (compared to the CPI population) of expenditure for food and non–alcoholic beverages and health, which both fell this quarter.
The PBLCI rose 3.2% through the year to the December quarter 2011. The PBLCI showed a larger rise compared to the CPI (+3.1%) through the year to the December quarter 2011.
GRAPHS
Graph 1. Pensioner and beneficiary living cost index, Percentage change from previous quarter

Graph 2. Pensioner and beneficiary living cost index, Index numbers

Graph 3. Comparison of living cost index numbers

Table 1: Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index, All Groups, Weighted average of eight capital cities – index numbers, percentage change and points change |
|
 |  |  | Percentage change | Points change |
Quarters | Index Numbers(a) | From previous quarter | From corresponding quarter of previous year | From previous quarter | From corresponding quarter of previous year |
|
2009 |  |  |  |  |  |
 | June | 107.1 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
 | September | 108.2 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
 | December | 108.8 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 2.8 |
2010 |  |  |  |  |  |
 | March | 110.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 3.1 |
 | June | 111.2 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 4.1 |
 | September | 112.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 4.1 |
 | December | 113.1 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 4.3 |
2011 |  |  |  |  |  |
 | March | 115.2 | 1.9 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 5.1 |
 | June | 116.2 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 5.1 |
 | September | 116.9 | 0.6 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 4.6 |
 | December | 116.7 | -0.2 | 3.2 | -0.2 | 3.6 |
|
(a) Reference base of index: June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
Table 2: Percentage change in analytical living cost indexes, PBLCI and CPI, by commodity group – September Quarter 2011 to December Quarter 2011 |
|
Commodity group | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI | CPI(b) |
|
Food and non–alcoholic beverages | -2.1 | -1.8 | -1.9 | -1.5 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
Clothing and footwear | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.5 |
Housing(c) | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | 0.1 |
Health | -2.6 | -3.2 | -2.8 | -1.2 |
Transport | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Communication | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
Recreation and culture | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
Education | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
All groups | -0.4 | 0.0 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
|
(a) As published in Analytical Living Cost Indexes for Selected Australian Household Types (cat. no. 6463.0) |
(b) As published in Consumer Price Index, Australia (cat. no. 6401.0) |
(c) House purchases are included in the CPI but excluded from the population subgroup indexes. |
(d) Includes interest charges and general insurance, except for the CPI. Interest charges are excluded from the CPI and general insurance is calculated on a different basis. |
Table 3: Points contribution to quarterly change, index points – September Quarter 2011 to December Quarter 2011 |
|
Commodity group | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI(b) | CPI(a) |
|
Food and non–alcoholic beverages | -0.55 | -0.39 | -0.45 | -0.28 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 0.06 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.07 |
Clothing and footwear | -0.01 | -0.01 | -0.01 | -0.02 |
Housing(c) | 0.12 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.12 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | -0.03 | -0.01 | -0.02 | 0.01 |
Health | -0.26 | -0.11 | -0.17 | -0.07 |
Transport | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Communication | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
Recreation and culture | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.11 |
Education | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
All groups | -0.5 | 0.0 | -0.2 | 0.0 |
|
(a) Re–referenced to base of June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
(b) Reference base of index: June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
(c) House purchases are included in the CPI but excluded from the population subgroup indexes. |
(d) Includes interest charges and general insurance, except for the CPI. Interest charges are excluded from the CPI and general insurance is calculated on a different basis. |
Table 4: Contribution to total index, by commodity group, index points – September Quarter 2011 to December Quarter 2011 |
|
 | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI(b) | CPI(a) |
Commodity group | Sep Qtr 2011 | Dec Qtr 2011 | Sep Qtr 2011 | Dec Qtr 2011 | Sep Qtr 2011 | Dec Qtr 2011 | Sep Qtr 2011 | Dec Qtr 2011 |
|
Food and non–alcoholic beverages | 25.76 | 25.21 | 22.44 | 22.05 | 23.79 | 23.34 | 19.01 | 18.73 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 7.78 | 7.84 | 11.46 | 11.56 | 9.96 | 10.05 | 8.04 | 8.11 |
Clothing and footwear | 5.73 | 5.72 | 5.76 | 5.75 | 5.75 | 5.74 | 4.57 | 4.55 |
Housing(c) | 20.54 | 20.66 | 27.34 | 27.59 | 24.57 | 24.78 | 25.71 | 25.83 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | 12.87 | 12.84 | 9.02 | 9.01 | 10.58 | 10.56 | 10.33 | 10.34 |
Health | 9.98 | 9.72 | 3.52 | 3.41 | 6.15 | 5.98 | 5.93 | 5.86 |
Transport | 10.88 | 10.89 | 11.29 | 11.30 | 11.12 | 11.13 | 13.09 | 13.10 |
Communication | 4.25 | 4.29 | 4.87 | 4.92 | 4.62 | 4.66 | 3.45 | 3.49 |
Recreation and culture | 13.39 | 13.47 | 11.06 | 11.12 | 12.01 | 12.08 | 14.35 | 14.46 |
Education | 0.33 | 0.33 | 2.76 | 2.76 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 3.61 | 3.61 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 4.78 | 4.82 | 7.88 | 7.92 | 6.62 | 6.66 | 5.79 | 5.84 |
All groups | 116.3 | 115.8 | 117.4 | 117.4 | 116.9 | 116.7 | 113.9 | 113.9 |
|
(a) Re–referenced to base of June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
(b) Reference base of index: June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
(c) House purchases are included in the CPI but excluded from the population subgroup indexes. |
(d) Includes interest charges and general insurance, except for the CPI. Interest charges are excluded from the CPI and general insurance is calculated on a different basis. |
Table 5: Percentage change in analytical living cost indexes, PBLCI and CPI, Commodity group – December Quarter 2010 to December Quarter 2011 |
|
Commodity group | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI | CPI(b) |
|
Food and non–alcoholic beverages | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.1 |
Clothing and footwear | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Housing(c) | 5.8 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 4.0 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | 0.2 |
Health | 3.0 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.6 |
Transport | 5.2 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 4.0 |
Communication | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
Recreation and culture | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
Education | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.6 |
All groups | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
|
(a) As published in Analytical Living Cost Indexes for Selected Australian Household Types (cat. no. 6463.0) |
(b) As published in Consumer Price Index, Australia (cat. no. 6401.0) |
(c) House purchases are included in the CPI but excluded from the population subgroup indexes. |
(d) Includes interest charges and general insurance, except for the CPI. Interest charges are excluded from the CPI and general insurance is calculated on a different basis. |
The following tables have been temporarily suspended, until data becomes available to calculate through the year estimates of points contributions and contributions to All Groups:
- Table 6: Points contribution to annual change, index points
- Table 7: Contribution to total index, Commodity group, index points