MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO CHANGE
The PBLCI rose 0.6% for the September quarter 2011. Housing (+2.9%) made the largest contribution primarily due to increases in utilities, rents and property rates and charges.
Health (-2.6%) contributed the most significant offset due to a fall in pharmaceutical products. This was mainly due to a greater proportion of consumers exceeding the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme compared to the June quarter 2011.
The PBLCI (+0.6%) and the CPI (+0.6%) recorded the same movement in the September quarter 2011. Pensioner and beneficiary households have a relatively higher proportion (compared to the CPI population) of expenditure for utilities, which rose this quarter. This was offset by a higher weight for pharmaceutical products, which recorded a fall this quarter.
The PBLCI rose 4.1% through the year to the September quarter 2011. The PBLCI showed a larger rise compared to the CPI (+3.5%) through the year to the September quarter 2011.
GRAPHS
Graph 1: Percentage change from previous quarter for pensioner and beneficiary living cost index

Graph 2: Index numbers for pensioner and beneficiary living cost index, June quarter 2007 = 100.0

Graph 3: Comparison of living cost index numbers, June quarter 2007 = 100.0

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 |  |  |  |  |  |
 | 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 | 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 | 5.0 |
 | September | 116.9 | 0.6 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 4.6 |
|
(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 - June Quarter 2011 to September Quarter 2011 |
|
Commodity group | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI | CPI(b) |
|
Food and non-alcoholic beverages | -0.5 | -0.4 | -0.4 | -0.2 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
Clothing and footwear | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
Housing(c) | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 1.9 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
Health | -2.4 | -3.0 | -2.6 | -1.0 |
Transport | 0.2 | -0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
Communication | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Recreation and culture | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
Education | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
All groups | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
|
(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 - June Quarter 2011 to September Quarter 2011 |
|
Commodity group | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI(b) | CPI(a) |
|
Food and non-alcoholic beverages | -0.12 | -0.08 | -0.10 | -0.05 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 0.04 | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.04 |
Clothing and footwear | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
Housing(c) | 0.73 | 0.67 | 0.68 | 0.47 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Health | -0.24 | -0.12 | -0.16 | -0.06 |
Transport | 0.02 | -0.01 | 0.00 | 0.02 |
Communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Recreation and culture | 0.11 | 0.04 | 0.08 | 0.13 |
Education | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
All groups | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
|
(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 - June Quarter 2011 to September Quarter 2011 |
|
 | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI(b) | CPI(a) |
Commodity group | Jun Qtr 2011(c) | Sep Qtr 2011 | Jun Qtr 2011(c) | Sep Qtr 2011 | Jun Qtr 2011(c) | Sep Qtr 2011 | Jun Qtr 2011(c) | Sep Qtr 2011 |
|
Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 25.88 | 25.76 | 22.52 | 22.44 | 23.89 | 23.79 | 19.06 | 19.01 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 7.74 | 7.78 | 11.34 | 11.46 | 9.88 | 9.96 | 8.00 | 8.04 |
Clothing and footwear | 5.64 | 5.73 | 5.69 | 5.76 | 5.67 | 5.75 | 4.51 | 4.57 |
Housing(d) | 19.81 | 20.54 | 26.67 | 27.34 | 23.89 | 24.57 | 25.24 | 25.71 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | 12.82 | 12.87 | 8.99 | 9.02 | 10.55 | 10.58 | 10.30 | 10.33 |
Health | 10.22 | 9.98 | 3.64 | 3.52 | 6.31 | 6.15 | 5.99 | 5.93 |
Transport | 10.86 | 10.88 | 11.30 | 11.29 | 11.12 | 11.12 | 13.07 | 13.09 |
Communication | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.87 | 4.87 | 4.62 | 4.62 | 3.45 | 3.45 |
Recreation and culture | 13.28 | 13.39 | 11.02 | 11.06 | 11.93 | 12.01 | 14.22 | 14.35 |
Education | 0.33 | 0.33 | 2.75 | 2.76 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 3.61 | 3.61 |
Insurance and financial services(e) | 4.76 | 4.78 | 7.83 | 7.88 | 6.58 | 6.62 | 5.75 | 5.79 |
All groups | 115.6 | 116.3 | 116.6 | 117.4 | 116.2 | 116.9 | 113.2 | 113.9 |
|
(a) Re-referenced to base of June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
(b) Reference base of index: June quarter 2007 = 100.0 |
(c) Differs from previously published June quarter 2011 due to reweighting. |
(d) House purchases are included in the CPI but excluded from the population subgroup indexes. |
(e) 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 - September Quarter 2010 to September Quarter 2011 |
|
Commodity group | Age pensioner ALCI(a) | Other government transfer recipient ALCI(a) | PBLCI | CPI(b) |
|
Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 7.8 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 6.4 |
Alcohol and tobacco | 2.9 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
Clothing and footwear | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.2 |
Housing(c) | 6.2 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 4.2 |
Furnishings, household equipment and services | -0.7 | -0.6 | -0.7 | -0.5 |
Health | 3.5 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
Transport | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 4.3 |
Communication | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
Recreation and culture | 0.5 | -0.6 | -0.2 | -0.1 |
Education | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
Insurance and financial services(d) | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 4.5 |
All groups | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
|
(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