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Impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Consumer Price Index data for December 2020

This page provides further information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for the December 2020 Consumer Price Index news release

Collection mode

Data collection for December 2020 involved no personal visits, so all data were collected either online or through telephone interviews. An example of this is full-service restaurants; even if a restaurant was open for dine-in service, as well as open for take-out or delivery, the data collector attempted to obtain the price from the restaurant’s website or by telephone call with the respondent, rather than a personal visit. 

Table 1. Collection modes for the commodities and services price survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Personal visit Telephone Online Personal visit Telephone Online

March

74 10 16 44 14 42

April

74 10 16 0 18 82

May

74 10 16 0 17 83

June

73 10 17 0 17 83

July

74 10 16 0 17 83

August

73 10 17 0 17 83

September

73 10 17 0 17 83

October

73 10 17 0 16 84

November

73 9 18 0 16 84

December

72 10 18 0 16 84

Average, Feb 2019–Feb 2020

73 10 17      
Table 2. Collection modes for the housing survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Personal visit Telephone Personal visit Telephone

March

36 64 30 70

April

38 62 0 100

May

39 61 0 100

June

38 62 0 100

July

37 63 0 100

August

37 63 0 100

September

38 62 0 100

October

39 61 0 100

November

38 62 0 100

December

39 61 0 100

Average, Feb 2019–Feb 2020

38 62    

Response rates

For some CPI market basket categories, the percentage of the sample collected in December 2020 was notably lower than average. These included food from vending machines and mobile vendors, admissions, leased cars and trucks, and new vehicles. 

There was a lower percentage of collected rents in December 2020 compared with December 2019. 

Table 3. Response rates for the commodities and services price survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Collected prices Uncollected prices Collected prices Uncollected prices

March

87 13 76 25

April

86 14 65 35

May

87 13 68 32

June

86 14 70 30

July

86 14 70 30

August

86 14 72 28

September

86 14 73 27

October

86 14 74 26

November

87 13 75 25

December

86 14 77 23

Average, Feb 2019–Feb 2020

86 14    
Table 4. Response rates for the housing survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Collected rents Vacant units Uncollected rents Collected rents Vacant units Uncollected rents

March

67 6 27 63 5 32

April

68 6 26 61 4 35

May

69 6 25 61 4 35

June

68 6 26 62 4 34

July

69 6 25 60 4 36

August

67 6 27 62 4 34

September

65 6 29 60 4 36

October

69 5 26 59 4 37

November

69 6 25 60 4 36

December

67 6 27 62 4 34

Average, Feb 2019–Feb 2020

68 6 26      

Imputation

In December 2020, the CPI continued to impute the majority of uncollected prices from collected prices within the same item and geographic area (home cell). However, the number of prices imputed from a different item area cell (different cell) increased from the same time in 2019. There were no instances where the data from the previous month were imputed to the current month (carry forward). 

Table 5. Imputation source for the commodities and services price survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Home cell Different cell Carry forward Home cell Different cell Carry forward

March

94 6 0 90 10 0

April

92 8 0 84 16 0

May

92 8 0 85 15 0

June

92 8 0 86 14 0

July

92 8 0 86 14 0

August

91 9 0 86 14 0

September

93 7 0 87 13 0

October

91 9 0 88 12 0

November

93 7 0 89 11 0

December

92 8 0 88 12 0
Table 6. Imputation source for the housing survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Noninterview Vacancy Noninterview Vacancy

March

82 18 87 13

April

82 18 90 10

May

82 18 91 9

June

81 19 89 11

July

81 19 89 11

August

83 17 91 9

September

83 17 90 10

October

83 17 90 10

November

82 18 90 10

December

82 18 90 10

Nonvacant units with respondents previously reporting, but not currently reporting, receive noninterview imputation for use in the CPI. Vacant units that were previously occupied by renters are also imputed for use in estimation by separate methods. Table 6 below shows a reduction in vacancy imputation performed in the current month relative to the same time last year. 

Cell, series, index, or observation suppression

Table 7 lists the data series that were both inadequate for publication in December 2020 because of insufficient sample and that were adequate over the year before March 2020. 

Table 7. List of data inadequate for publication for December 2020
LABSTAT ID Item Area

CPI-U Series

CUUR0000SETA03

Leased cars and trucks U.S. city average

CUUR0000SS62032

Admission to sporting events U.S. city average

CUUR0360SATCLTB

Transportation commodities less motor fuel East South Central

CUUR0360SETA

New and used motor vehicles East South Central

CUUR0360SETA01

New vehicles East South Central

CUURS23BSAD

Durables Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CUURS23BSATCLTB

Transportation commodities less motor fuel Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CUURS23BSETA

New and used motor vehicles Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CUURS23BSETA01

New vehicles Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CUURS35ESAEC

Education and communication commodities Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

CUURS48ASAM

Medical care Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CUURS48ASATCLTB

Transportation commodities less motor fuel Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CUURS48ASETA

New and used motor vehicles Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CUURS48ASETA01

New vehicles Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CPI-W Series

CWUR0000SETA03

Leased cars and trucks U.S. city average

CWUR0360SETA01

New vehicles East South Central

CWURS23BSAGC

Other goods Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CWURS23BSETA

New and used motor vehicles Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CWURS23BSETA01

New vehicles Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

CWURS35ESAEC

Education and communication commodities Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

CWURS48ASAGC

Other goods Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CWURS48ASAM

Medical care Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CWURS48ASETA01

New vehicles Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

CWURS49DSAGS

Other personal services Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

C-CPI-U Series

No series were inadequate for publication.

AP Series

APU0000706311

Turkey, frozen, whole, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000711411

Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000712211

Lettuce, iceberg, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000712406

Peppers, sweet, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000712412

Broccoli, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000FL2101

Lettuce, romaine, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0100711211

Bananas, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711311

Oranges, Navel, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711411

Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711412

Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711415

Strawberries, dry pint, per 12 oz. (340.2 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100FJ1101

Milk, low-fat, reduced fat, skim, gallon container Northeast urban

APU0200702212

Bread, whole wheat, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0200709112

Milk, fresh, whole, fortified, per gal. (3.8 lit) Midwest urban

APU0200711411

Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0200711412

Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0200712112

Potatoes, white, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0300701111

Flour, white, all purpose, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300702212

Bread, whole wheat, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300703311

Round roast, USDA Choice, boneless, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300705121

Bologna, all beef or mixed, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300710411

Ice cream, prepackaged, bulk, regular, per 1/2 gal. (1.9 lit) South urban

APU0300711311

Oranges, Navel, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300711411

Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300711412

Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300712211

Lettuce, iceberg, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300716116

Margarine, soft, tubs, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300FL2101

Lettuce, romaine, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU035072511

Fuel oil #2 per gallon (3.785 liters) South Atlantic

APU0400702212

Bread, whole wheat, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400705111

Frankfurters, all meat or all beef, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400711411

Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400711412

Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400711415

Strawberries, dry pint, per 12 oz. (340.2 gm) West urban

APU0400714233

Beans, dried, any type, all sizes, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FL2101

Lettuce, romaine, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

Measures of error

The standard error of the CPI’s change can be used to construct confidence intervals to determine whether the change for a particular CPI series is significantly different from zero. Table 8 shows the 1- and 12-month standard error for selected indexes at the U.S. level. 

Table 8. Impact on standard errors of one- and twelve-month percent changes
Expenditure category One month Twelve month
Dec 2019 Dec 2020 Dec 2019 Dec 2020

All items

0.03 0.03 0.09 0.08

Food and beverages

0.08 0.10 0.13 0.23

Food

0.08 0.10 0.13 0.22

Housing

0.05 0.05 0.13 0.11

Apparel

0.51 0.39 1.05 0.82

Transportation

0.08 0.11 0.15 0.25

Medical care

0.21 0.06 0.66 0.29

Recreation

0.15 0.14 0.33 0.41

Education and communication

0.07 0.06 0.24 0.23

Other goods and services

0.13 0.15 0.35 0.34

Energy

0.11 0.14 0.39 0.23

All items less food and energy

0.04 0.04 0.11 0.09

Last Modified Date: January 13, 2021