This page summarises the impacts of COVID-19 on the methodology used for the March 2021 quarter consumers price index
(CPI) following on from our December 2020 quarter paper (see Impacts of COVID-19 on the methodology used for the December 2020 quarter CPI).
We focus on collection issues, imputation to replace missing prices, reintroducing prices for missing items, reweighting
the CPI basket, and seasonal adjustment.
COVID-19 has created some unprecedented data collection and methodological challenges for the CPI in 2020 and 2021. In
the March 2021 quarter, in-person collection of data from stores ceased for two short periods in February and March,
which meant contacting business respondents was more difficult. We’re also reintroducing the prices for an additional
international airfare route (on top of the one reintroduced last quarter) as more people start to fly as travel
restrictions ease.
Visit our website to read this methods paper: Impacts of COVID-19 on methodology for the March 2021 quarter CPI