24 May 2019
RPI April 2019: Statement
An error has been identified in the component price data used in the calculation of the April 2019 Retail Prices Index (RPI).
Incorrect price data for petrol and diesel were used in the compilation process. A price of 122.75 pence per litre (PPL) for petrol and 132.08 PPL for diesel were used. The correct values should have been 124.06 PPL for petrol and 132.96 PPL for diesel.
The published RPI annual growth rate for April 2019 was 3.0% (3.04% to two decimal places). If the April 2019 RPI was recalculated using the correct fuel prices, it would increase the RPI annual growth rate by 0.03 percentage points, resulting in a headline rate of 3.1% (3.07% to two decimal places).
In line with the published revisions policy for consumer price inflation statistics, this error will not be corrected in the published RPI series.
There is no impact on the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) or the Consumer Prices Index. A full review of the price compilation procedure for fuel prices in RPI will take place to ensure this error will not occur again.
22 May 2019
The Office for National Statistics is committed to improving its releases. We would like to ask your views on how we can shape the future of the Consumer price inflation detailed briefing note. We would be extremely grateful if you could please complete the following anonymous survey. Your answers to this survey – which should take less than five minutes to complete – would be invaluable.
