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Core inflation in December 2014
Date: 16-01-2015
NBP data: In December inflation net of food and energy prices stood at 0.5% (y/y) representing a 0.1 pp decrease on the November figure. The CPI index in December stood at -1.0% (y/y).
On 16 January 2015, Narodowy Bank Polski posted data on core inflation indices in December 2014. In year-on-year terms, inflation:
- excluding administered (state-controlled) prices amounted to -1.3 %, as against -0.9% a month before;
- excluding the most volatile prices decreased to -0.4% from -0.3% observed in November;;
- net of food and energy prices, amounted to 0.5%, i.e. 0.1 pp more than in November;;
- the so-called 15-percent trimmed mean (excluding the impact of 15% of the price basket characterised by the highest and the lowest growth rates) stood at – 0.4%, as against - 0.2%, the month before.
The December CPI index, announced by GUS on 15 January 2015, amounted to -1.0% (y/y).
Narodowy Bank Polski computes the four core inflation indices on a monthly basis in order to highlight the nature of inflation developments in Poland. The CPI only shows the average price movement across the whole broad basket of consumer goods. By calculating the core inflation indices we can address price changes in various segments of the basket. Thus, sources of inflation can be identified more precisely, and future trends forecasted more accurately. Furthermore, it can be determined to what degree the observed inflation trend is a lasting phenomenon, and to what extent it is driven by e.g. short-lived price hikes triggered by incidental factors.
The core inflation measure most frequently used by analysts is inflation net of food and energy prices. It captures movements in prices which are fairly responsive to the central bank's monetary policy. On the other hand energy prices (including fuel prices) are not set domestically, but determined in the global markets, sometimes as a result of speculation. Also food prices are largely dependent on, among other things, the weather and conditions prevailing in the domestic and worldwide agricultural markets.
See also: The December 2014 core inflation data »