6467.0 - Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index, Mar 2011 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 16/05/2011   
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MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO CHANGE

The PBLCI increased 1.9% for the March quarter 2011. Food (+3.3%) made the greatest contribution to the quarterly rise primarily due to increases in fruit and vegetables following the floods and Cyclone Yasi. Increases were also recorded in transportation (+3.6%) primarily due to automotive fuel, housing (+1.7%) due to rises in electricity and rents, and health (+6.7%) due to the cyclical reduction in the proportion of consumers who qualify for subsidised pharmaceuticals and out-of-hospital medical expenses at the start of each calendar year.

The most significant offsets were provided by household contents and services (-1.3%), clothing and footwear (-1.1%) and recreation (-0.6%) primarily due to falls in furniture, children's footwear and audio, visual and computing equipment respectively.

The major contributors to the difference between the PBLCI (+1.9%) and the CPI (+1.6%) in the March quarter 2011 were automotive fuel, vegetables, pharmaceuticals, fruit, electricity, and rents. PBLCI households have a relatively higher proportion of expenditure attributed to each of these commodities compared to the wider CPI population group.


GRAPHS

Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index and CPI, All groups - Percentage change from previous quarter
Graph: Pensioner and Benificiary Living Cost Index and CPI, All groups - Percentage change (from previous quarter)


Comparison of PBLCI and CPI Indexes
Graph: Pensioner and Benificiary Living Cost Index and CPI (re-referenced), index numbers


Comparison of PBLCI and selected Analytical Living Cost Indexes
Graph: Comparison of PBLCI and analytical living cost indexes

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
2008
September
106.1
1.3
5.2
1.4
5.2
December
106.0
-0.1
4.2
-0.1
4.3
2009
March
107.0
0.9
3.5
1.0
3.6
June
107.1
0.1
2.3
0.1
2.4
September
108.2
1.0
1.9
1.1
2.1
December
108.8
0.6
2.7
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
(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 - December Quarter 2010 to March Quarter 2011
Commodity group
Age pensioner ALCI(a)
Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a)
PBLCI
CPI(b)
Food
3.6
3.1
3.3
2.9
Alcohol and tobacco
1.0
1.5
1.3
1.1
Clothing and footwear
-1.2
-1.3
-1.1
-0.7
Housing(c)
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.3
Household contents and services
-1.2
-1.4
-1.3
-1.6
Health
6.4
7.2
6.7
3.9
Transportation
3.4
3.7
3.6
2.7
Communication
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
Recreation
-0.6
-0.6
-0.6
-0.6
Education
5.7
5.4
5.5
5.7
Financial and insurance services(d)
2.1
2.6
2.4
2.6
All groups
2.0
1.7
1.9
1.6
(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 - December Quarter 2010 to March Quarter 2011
Commodity group
Age pensioner ALCI(a)
Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a)
PBLCI(b)
CPI(a)
Food
0.89
0.68
0.77
0.53
Alcohol and tobacco
0.08
0.18
0.15
0.08
Clothing and footwear
-0.05
-0.06
-0.06
-0.03
Housing(c)
0.37
0.41
0.39
0.30
Household contents and services
-0.12
-0.16
-0.14
-0.15
Health
0.52
0.25
0.37
0.22
Transportation
0.41
0.43
0.43
0.36
Communication
0.00
0.00
0.01
0.01
Recreation
-0.06
-0.06
-0.06
-0.06
Education
0.02
0.13
0.07
0.19
Financial and insurance services(d)
0.13
0.19
0.17
0.25
All groups
2.2
2.0
2.1
1.7
(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 - December Quarter 2010 to March Quarter 2011
Age pensioner ALCI(a)
Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a)
PBLCI(b)
CPI(a)
Commodity group
Dec Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Dec Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Dec Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Dec Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Food
24.42
25.31
21.90
22.58
22.97
23.74
18.07
18.60
Alcohol and tobacco
8.78
8.86
13.05
13.23
11.25
11.40
8.47
8.55
Clothing and footwear
4.61
4.56
4.35
4.29
4.46
4.40
3.58
3.55
Housing(c)
21.66
22.03
24.68
25.09
23.41
23.80
23.96
24.26
Household contents and services
11.32
11.20
10.37
10.21
10.77
10.63
9.58
9.43
Health
8.15
8.67
3.49
3.74
5.45
5.82
5.47
5.69
Transportation
12.09
12.50
11.66
12.09
11.84
12.27
13.77
14.13
Communication
3.73
3.73
4.35
4.35
4.08
4.09
3.16
3.17
Recreation
11.31
11.25
9.84
9.78
10.46
10.40
11.44
11.38
Education
0.18
0.20
2.15
2.28
1.33
1.40
3.29
3.48
Financial and insurance services(d)
6.15
6.28
7.76
7.95
7.08
7.25
9.71
9.96
All groups
112.4
114.6
113.6
115.6
113.1
115.2
110.5
112.2
(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 - March Quarter 2010 to March Quarter 2011
Commodity group
Age pensioner ALCI(a)
Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a)
PBLCI
CPI(b)
Food
5.1
4.3
4.7
4.3
Alcohol and tobacco
10.9
17.1
15.1
11.2
Clothing and footwear
-1.9
-1.7
-1.7
-1.3
Housing(c)
6.3
5.9
6.1
4.8
Household contents and services
-0.3
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
Health
3.8
3.3
3.6
4.1
Transportation
3.9
4.5
4.3
3.0
Communication
0.2
-0.1
0.0
-0.2
Recreation
-1.0
-1.6
-1.3
-1.5
Education
5.8
5.5
5.6
5.9
Financial and insurance services(d)
7.0
12.0
10.1
2.8
All groups
4.1
5.1
4.6
3.3
(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 6: Points contribution to annual change, index points - March Quarter 2010 to March Quarter 2011
Commodity group
Age pensioner ALCI(a)
Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a)
PBLCI(b)
CPI(a)
Food
1.20
0.90
1.07
0.79
Alcohol and tobacco
0.90
1.90
1.49
0.86
Clothing and footwear
-0.10
-0.10
-0.08
-0.04
Housing(c)
1.30
1.40
1.37
1.11
Household contents and services
0.00
-0.10
-0.04
-0.04
Health
0.30
0.10
0.21
0.23
Transportation
0.50
0.50
0.51
0.42
Communication
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Recreation
-0.10
-0.20
-0.14
-0.17
Education
0.00
0.10
0.08
0.20
Financial and insurance services(d)
0.40
0.80
0.67
0.27
All groups
4.4
5.6
5.1
3.6
(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 7: Contribution to total index, Commodity group, index points - March Quarter 2010 to March Quarter 2011
Age pensioner ALCI(a)
Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a)
PBLCI(b)
CPI(a)
Commodity group
Mar Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Mar Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Mar Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Mar Qtr 2010
Mar Qtr 2011
Food
24.08
25.31
21.64
22.58
22.67
23.74
17.81
18.60
Alcohol and tobacco
8.00
8.86
11.30
13.23
9.91
11.40
7.69
8.55
Clothing and footwear
4.64
4.56
4.36
4.29
4.48
4.40
3.59
3.55
Housing(c)
20.71
22.03
23.68
25.09
22.43
23.80
23.15
24.26
Household contents and services
11.22
11.20
10.27
10.21
10.67
10.63
9.47
9.43
Health
8.35
8.67
3.62
3.74
5.61
5.82
5.46
5.69
Transportation
12.02
12.50
11.57
12.09
11.76
12.27
13.71
14.13
Communication
3.72
3.73
4.35
4.35
4.09
4.09
3.17
3.17
Recreation
11.37
11.25
9.93
9.78
10.54
10.40
11.55
11.38
Education
0.18
0.20
2.15
2.28
1.32
1.40
3.28
3.48
Financial and insurance services(d)
5.87
6.28
7.11
7.95
6.58
7.25
9.69
9.96
All groups
110.2
114.6
110.0
115.6
110.1
115.2
108.6
112.2
(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.