UK сonsumer price index increased more than expected in December

According to the report from Office for National Statistics, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate was 0.6% in December 2020, up from 0.3% in November. Economists had expected a 0.5% increase. On a monthly basis, CPI grew by 0.3% in December 2020, following a 0.1% fall in November. Economists had expected a 0.2% increase.

The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) 12-month inflation rate was 0.8% in December 2020, up from 0.6% in November.

The largest contribution to the CPIH 12-month inflation rate came from recreation and culture (0.35 percentage points).

Rising transport costs contributed 0.11 percentage points to the monthly change, while increasing prices for clothing, and recreation and culture items both contributed 0.10 percentage points to help increase inflation; these were partially offset by a downward contribution from falling food and non-alcoholic beverage prices.

On a monthly basis, the CPIH grew by 0.2% in December 2020, following a 0.1% fall in November.

As a result of restrictions caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic easing in some areas in December 2020, the number of CPIH items identified as unavailable was nine, accounting for 2.0% of the basket by weight; this number had decreased from 72 in November; for the December collection (which took place on or around 15 December 2020), we collected a weighted total of 81.5% of comparable coverage collected before the first lockdown (excluding unavailable items).