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MAIN CONTRIBUTORS TO CHANGE


PENSIONER AND BENEFICIARY HOUSEHOLDS

The PBLCI rose 0.2% in the September quarter 2014. The main contributor to the rise was food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.3%), mainly due to rises in fruit. Alcohol and tobacco (+1.4%) also contributed to the rise partially due to the increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco from 1 September 2014.

Health (-1.7%) contributed the most significant partial offset, largely driven by a fall in pharmaceutical products due to the cyclical effect of a greater proportion of consumers exceeding the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) safety net.

The PBLCI recorded a smaller rise than the CPI (+0.5%) in the September quarter 2014. The housing group in the SLCIs does not include new dwelling purchase by owner-occupiers, which was a major contributor to the rise in the CPI this quarter. For further information, see paragraph 14 of the Explanatory Notes. The fall in electricity also contributed to the smaller rise, with electricity having a larger relative weight in the PBLCI than the CPI.

The PBLCI rose 2.1% through the year to the September quarter 2014 compared to the CPI which rose 2.3% through the year to the September quarter 2014.


EMPLOYEE HOUSEHOLDS

The living cost index for employee households rose 0.4% in the September quarter 2014. The main contributor to the rise was food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.2%), mainly due to rises in fruit. Alcohol and tobacco (+1.1%) and insurance and financial services (+0.7%) also contributed to the rise.

The most significant partial offsetting falls were for communication (-1.5%), largely driven by falls in telecommunication equipment and services, and clothing and footwear (-0.9%), largely driven by falls in garments for men.

The LCI for employee households recorded a smaller rise than the CPI (+0.5%) in the September quarter 2014. The housing group in the SLCIs does not include new dwelling purchase by owner-occupiers, which was a major contributor to the rise in the CPI this quarter. For further information, see paragraph 14 of the Explanatory Notes.

The LCI for employee households rose 1.9% through the year to the September quarter 2014 compared to the CPI which rose 2.3% through the year to the September quarter 2014.


AGE PENSIONER HOUSEHOLDS

The living cost index for age pensioner households rose 0.1% in the September quarter 2014. The main contributor to the rise was food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.5%), mainly due to rises in fruit. Alcohol and tobacco (+0.9%) and recreation (+0.4%) also contributed to the rise.

Health (-1.5%) contributed the most significant partial offset, largely driven by a fall in pharmaceutical products due the cyclical effect of a greater proportion of consumers exceeding the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) safety net.

The LCI for age pensioner households recorded a slightly smaller rise than the CPI (+0.5%) in the September quarter 2014. The housing group in the SLCIs does not include new dwelling purchase by owner-occupiers, which was a major contributor to the rise in the CPI this quarter. For further information, see paragraph 14 of the Explanatory Notes. The fall in electricity also contributed to the smaller rise, with electricity having a larger relative weight in age pensioner households than the CPI population.

The LCI for age pensioner households rose 1.9% through the year to the September quarter 2014 compared to the CPI which rose 2.3% through the year to the September quarter 2014.


OTHER GOVERNMENT TRANSFER RECIPIENT HOUSEHOLDS

The living cost index for other government transfer recipient households rose 0.3% in the September quarter 2014. The main contributors to the rise were food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.2%), and alcohol and tobacco (+1.7%). The rise in food and non-alcoholic beverages is largely due to rises in fruit, while for alcohol and tobacco the rise is mainly due to the increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco from 1 September 2014.

Health (-2.0%) contributed the most significant partial offset, largely due to a fall in pharmaceutical products due the cyclical effect of a greater proportion of consumers exceeding the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) safety net.

The LCI for other government transfer recipient households recorded a slightly smaller rise than the CPI (+0.5%) in the September quarter 2014. The housing group in the SLCIs does not include new dwelling purchase by owner-occupiers, which was a major contributor to the rise in the CPI this quarter. For further information, see paragraph 14 of the Explanatory Notes. The fall in electricity also contributed to the smaller rise, with electricity having a larger relative weight in other government transfer recipient households than the CPI population.

The LCI for other government transfer recipient households and the CPI both rose 2.3% through the year to the September quarter 2014.


SELF-FUNDED RETIREE HOUSEHOLDS

The living cost index for self-funded retiree households rose 0.5% in the September quarter 2014. The main contributor to the rise was food and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.5%), mainly due to rises in fruit. Recreation and culture (+0.6%) and housing (+1.0%) also contributed to the rise.

The most significant partially offsetting falls were for communication (-1.3%), largely driven by falls in telecommunication equipment and services, and clothing and footwear (-1.0%), largely driven by falls in garments for men.

The LCI for self-funded retiree households recorded the same movement as the CPI (+0.5%) in the September quarter 2014. Self-funded retiree households have a relatively higher proportion of expenditure on recreation and culture and a relatively lower proportion of expenditure on housing than the CPI population, which both rose this quarter.

The LCI for self-funded retiree households rose 2.2% through the year to the September quarter 2014 compared to the CPI which rose 2.3% through the year to the September quarter 2014.

Percentage change, Commodity group - June Quarter 2014 to September Quarter 2014
	Pensioner and beneficiary LCI	Employee LCI	Age pensioner LCI	Other government transfer recipient LCI	Self-funded retiree LCI	Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Weighted average of eight capital cities						%
Food and non-alcoholic beverages	1.3	1.2	1.5	1.2	1.5	1.2
Alcohol and tobacco	1.4	1.1	0.9	1.7	0.9	1.1
Clothing and footwear	-1.2	-0.9	-1.2	-1.3	-1.0	-1.0
Housing(a)	-0.2	0.4	-0.2	0.0	1.0	0.5
Furnishings, household equipment and services	0.2	0.4	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.4
Health	-1.7	0.1	-1.5	-2.0	-0.3	-0.2
Transport	-0.3	-0.1	-0.3	-0.4	0.0	-0.1
Communication	-1.5	-1.5	-1.4	-1.5	-1.3	-1.4
Recreation and culture	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.6	0.6
Education	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.2	0.1	0.1
Insurance and financial services(b)	0.5	0.7	0.4	0.7	0.5	0.6
All groups	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.3	0.5	0.5
(a) House purchases are included in the CPI but excluded from the other indexes.
(b) 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.