Methodological note to the consumer price index for July 2020 (COVID-19)

Since governmental measures were imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic, the movement of people was restricted during April 2020 and some outlets (stores) and service establishments were closed, which had a direct or indirect impact on household consumption and thus consumer price indices. In May, June and July 2020, the measures were gradually released, which enabled recovery of consumption in most of the run-down segments and also return of the statistical survey to its standard conditions.

Methodological procedure how to cope with these unexpected fluctuations in the household consumption for the consumer price index (CPI) was based on the existing CPI concept and on a harmonised approach across EU Member States under the current circumstances for the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) the methodology of which is decisive also for the national CPI. Basic principles are described in details in methodological note for April 2020

Concrete measures to ensure continuity of time series of selected price indices in July 2020

As for the share in reduction of consumption within the consumer basket, it applied to the following ECOICOP division:

Recreation and culture (09) – For package international holidays (09.602), combination of price index of package domestic holidays (09.601) and prices of international package holidays already realised in July, was used for the necessary imputation of the price index.