Consumer price indices

As from January 2011 consumer price indices will be calculated according to a new, more detailed classification scheme for consumer spending, which with some adjustments takes into account the proposed revision of the COICOP classification scheme defined at the European level.

The consumer price index for the whole nation (NIC, intera collettività nazionale) is published with a level of detail that reaches 319 Consumption segments, against the previous 204 Product items.

The Product divisions (formerly Items of expenditure) which benefit to a relatively greater extent from the increased level of detail in the indices are restaurants and hotels, and Communications.

The 2011 basket is made up of 1,377 products, which are grouped further into 591 representative items; it is on these that the related consumer price indices are calculated monthly.

Compared with 2010 the following new items are included in the basket for the first time: Tablet PCs; Admission to national parks, zoological and botanical gardens; Integrated interurban multi-modal transport services, Ethnic fast food; Smoked salmon. The DVD rentals item has been dropped.

Examples of items already contained in the previous index which are published as a result of the new classification include: Mobile telephone services (voice traffic and SMS) and Internet services via mobile networks.

In 2011, the municipalities of 85 provincial capitals are taking part in calculating the indices (as against 83 in 2010). The municipality of L’Aquila has begun collecting prices again after two years of inactivity due to the effects of the earthquake, Messina has joined them and Salerno has begun to participate once again, while Pesaro has stopped. Coverage in terms of provincial population is 86.7%.