Goods used to calculate the rising cost of living have been amended to reflect the changing shopping habits of consumers.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) monitors the prices of a virtual so-called inflation basket of more than 700 goods and services to create monthly inflation figures.
Every year, it reviews the basket and this year 26 items have been added and 16 have been removed from the 743 item list.
Here is the ONS’ list of the items that have been added and removed to the virtual basket:
Additions
- Tortilla wrap
- Margarine and dairy spread
- Dairy free spread
- Dessert apple
- Frozen berries
- Green beans
- Red wine
- Infant’s dress
- Men’s belt
- Security camera
- E-bike
- Rail fares
- Letter handling services
- Parcel delivery services
- Soundbar
- Printer
- Computer game accessory
- Mouthwash
- Sanitary towels
Removals
- Non-chart CDs
- Non-film DVDs
- Alcopops
- Digital compat cameras
- 20 super king sized cigarettes
- Tampons
- Lamb shoulder
- Low fat margarine and spreads
- Cooking apples
- Spirit based drink
- Vending machine soft drinks
Melon and pineapple categories have been amended to be monitored in more supermarkets than previously and different categories of red wine have been amalgamated.
The ONS said the inclusion of e-bikes, home security cameras and frozen berries reflected heightened environmental awareness, a bigger range of products such as doorbell cameras to protect property, and the increased popularity of smoothies.
Speaking about the data Mike Hardie, from the ONS, said: “The impact of mobile phone technology continues to resonate with the removal of CDs and digital cameras from our basket, reflecting how most of us listen to music and take pictures straight from our phones these days.
“With many people looking to reduce their impact on the environment, we have also introduced e-bikes, whose popularity has risen significantly in recent years.”
Myron Jobson, personal finance analyst at Interactive Investor, told the BBC: “The ONS basket of goods become ever more diverse, with the inclusion of products that some of us wouldn’t even dream of buying.
“It is not an exact science, and its variety should remind us that the experiences of the rising cost of living is unique to each individual.
The data comes after inflation recently hit a 40-year high. It now stands at 10 per cent, according to some metrics.
At the start of the year, the prime minister made the target of halving inflation one of his top five priorities ahead of the next general election.
