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Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Prices in the Honolulu Area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 1.8 percent in the second half of 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that this latest six-month increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and medical care. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, six-month-to-six-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)
Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U rose 1.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.)Energy prices fell 26.1 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.2 percent over the year. (See table 1.)
Food
Food prices increased 2.7 percent in the second half of 2015. (See table 1.) Prices for food away from home increased 3.2 percent and prices for food at home rose 2.2 percent for the same period.
Over the year, food prices rose 4.6 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 6.6 percent, and prices for food at home rose 2.3 percent since a year ago.
EnergyThe energy index decreased 6.7 percent since the first half of 2015. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-8.6 percent). Prices for electricity declined 4.8 percent, and prices for natural gas service decreased 0.5 percent in for the same period.
Energy prices fell 26.1 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-29.7 percent). Prices paid for electricity fell 22.1 percent, and prices for natural gas service fell 18.3 percent during the past year.
All items less food and energyThe index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent in the latest six-month period. Higher prices for medical care (7.7 percent) and recreation (2.4 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-1.9 percent).
Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 3.2 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (10.6 percent), other goods and services (3.8 percent), and shelter (3.0 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decline in apparel (-2.0 percent).
Month | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semi-annual | Annual | Semi-annual | Annual | Semi-annual | Annual | Semi-annual | Annual | Semi-annual | Annual | Semi-annual | Annual | |
First Half | 0.8 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.1 | -0.5 | 0.7 |
Second Half | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
The First Half of 2016 Consumer Price Index for the Honolulu is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2016.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.
The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.
The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.
In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.
The Honolulu metropolitan area covered in this release consists of Oahu County in the State of Hawaii.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339
Item and Group | Semiannual average indexes | Percent change to 2nd half 2015 from- | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2nd half 2014 | 1st half 2015 | 2nd half 2015 | 2nd half 2014 | 1st half 2015 | |
Expenditure category | |||||
All items | 259.190 | 257.848 | 262.482 | 1.3 | 1.8 |
All items (1967=100) | 713.543 | 709.848 | 722.606 | - | - |
Food and beverages | 259.151 | 263.610 | 270.472 | 4.4 | 2.6 |
Food | 259.386 | 264.047 | 271.238 | 4.6 | 2.7 |
Food at home | 263.728 | 264.135 | 269.886 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
Food away from home | 250.660 | 258.797 | 267.147 | 6.6 | 3.2 |
Alcoholic beverages | 253.272 | 254.712 | 256.632 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
Housing | 275.343 | 274.380 | 277.714 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
Shelter | 292.046 | 295.504 | 300.930 | 3.0 | 1.8 |
Rent of primary residence | 290.631 | 293.792 | 297.479 | 2.4 | 1.3 |
Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) | 301.175 | 305.094 | 311.160 | 3.3 | 2.0 |
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1) | 301.175 | 305.094 | 311.160 | 3.3 | 2.0 |
Fuels and utilities | 378.605 | 334.075 | 324.495 | -14.3 | -2.9 |
Household energy | 333.793 | 273.872 | 261.209 | -21.7 | -4.6 |
Energy services | 328.983 | 269.057 | 256.515 | -22.0 | -4.7 |
Electricity | 326.096 | 266.665 | 253.870 | -22.1 | -4.8 |
Utility (piped) gas service | 326.205 | 267.712 | 266.469 | -18.3 | -0.5 |
Household furnishings and operations | 151.312 | 149.378 | 148.742 | -1.7 | -0.4 |
Apparel | 110.021 | 109.941 | 107.845 | -2.0 | -1.9 |
Transportation | 235.132 | 217.288 | 216.223 | -8.0 | -0.5 |
Private transportation | 235.748 | 215.372 | 209.809 | -11.0 | -2.6 |
Motor fuel | 310.944 | 239.388 | 218.887 | -29.6 | -8.6 |
Gasoline (all types) | 319.624 | 245.627 | 224.543 | -29.7 | -8.6 |
Gasoline, unleaded regular (2) | 338.353 | 258.769 | 235.751 | -30.3 | -8.9 |
253.927 | 198.119 | 181.706 | -28.4 | -8.3 | |
Gasoline, unleaded premium (2) | 281.799 | 218.577 | 201.210 | -28.6 | -7.9 |
Medical care | 355.393 | 364.754 | 392.998 | 10.6 | 7.7 |
Recreation (4) | 119.860 | 120.419 | 123.261 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
Education and communication (4) | 144.995 | 146.406 | 149.332 | 3.0 | 2.0 |
Other goods and services | 465.906 | 473.733 | 483.535 | 3.8 | 2.1 |
Commodity and service group | |||||
All Items | 259.190 | 257.848 | 262.482 | 1.3 | 1.8 |
Commodities | 201.900 | 197.662 | 197.922 | -2.0 | 0.1 |
Commodities less food & beverages | 165.302 | 156.607 | 153.371 | -7.2 | -2.1 |
Nondurables less food & beverages | 209.306 | 192.522 | 187.258 | -10.5 | -2.7 |
Durables | 116.938 | 116.900 | 115.842 | -0.9 | -0.9 |
Services | 309.416 | 310.299 | 318.437 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
Special aggregate indexes | |||||
All items less medical care | 254.122 | 252.166 | 255.456 | 0.5 | 1.3 |
All items less shelter | 245.532 | 241.690 | 245.976 | 0.2 | 1.8 |
Commodities less food | 168.744 | 160.348 | 157.267 | -6.8 | -1.9 |
Nondurables | 235.752 | 229.670 | 230.541 | -2.2 | 0.4 |
Nondurables less food | 212.030 | 196.349 | 191.521 | -9.7 | -2.5 |
Services less rent of shelter (1) | 332.392 | 329.223 | 341.162 | 2.6 | 3.6 |
Services less medical care services | 304.281 | 304.147 | 309.935 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
Energy | 320.356 | 253.948 | 236.872 | -26.1 | -6.7 |
All items less energy | 256.956 | 259.668 | 265.692 | 3.4 | 2.3 |
All items less food and energy | 257.958 | 260.332 | 266.178 | 3.2 | 2.2 |
Footnotes | |||||
- Data not available. |
Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016