Harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) (prc_hicp)

1.1. Contact organisation

National Statistical Institute of the Czech Republic

1.2. Contact organisation unit

Price Statistics / CPI section

1.3. Contact name

Confidential because of GDPR

1.4. Contact person function

Confidential because of GDPR

1.5. Contact mail address

Na padesátém 81 /100 82 Praha 10 - Strašnice /CZECH REPUBLIC

1.6. Contact email address

Confidential because of GDPR

1.7. Contact phone number

Confidential because of GDPR

1.8. Contact fax number

Confidential because of GDPR

2.1. Metadata last certified

26 August 2025

2.2. Metadata last posted

26 August 2025

2.3. Metadata last update

26 August 2025

3.1. Data description

The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) is a consumer price index (CPI) that is calculated according to a harmonised approach. It measures the change over time of the prices of consumer goods and services acquired by households (inflation).

Due to the common methodology, the HICPs of the countries and European aggregates can be directly compared.

3.2. Classification system

European classification of individual consumption according to purpose (ECOICOP).

3.3. Coverage - sector

The HICP covers the final monetary consumption expenditure of the household sector.

3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

The main statistical variables are price indices.

3.5. Statistical unit

The basic unit of statistical observation are prices for consumer products.

3.6. Statistical population

Please see the information under the next points.

3.6.1. Statistical target population

The target statistical universe is the 'household final monetary consumption expenditure' (HFMCE) on the economic territory of the country by both resident and non-resident households. The household sector to which the definition refers, includes all individuals or groups of individuals irrespective of, in particular, the type of area in which they live, their position in the income distribution and their nationality or residence status. These definitions follow the national accounts concepts in the European System of Accounts.

3.6.1.1. Statistical target population - national specifics

Imputed rentals, narcotics, games of chance, prostitution, Life Insurance and FISIM excluded.

Income in-kind and self-supply is excluded.

HICP covers final monetary consumption expenditures by households irrespective of their nationality or residence status on the economic area of the country. Expenditures of nationals abroad are excluded. Expenditures of tourists are included.

Sub-indices that may account for more than one part in thousand not produced and transmitted, because exact information is not available  

COICOP               Sub-index (weight redistributed to):

04.1.2                   Other actual rentals (04.1.1.1)

04.1.2.1                Actual rentals paid by tenants for secondary residences (04.1.1.1)

04.3.2.5                Services of carpenters (04.3.2)

05.2.0.9                Other household textiles (05.2.0)

09.2.1                   Major durables for outdoor recreation (09.2.2.1)

 

Institutional households are included. The share of this expenditure in the total final monetary consumption expenditure is 6 per mille (domestic concept).

The consumption expenditures of individuals living in institutional households are split into individual COICOP/HICP categories. NA data are used. The most important group of institutionalised persons are retirees in retirement homes (almost 1% of the total population).

The distinction between foreign tourist expenditure and expenditure of households resident in the country is made in weights – source NA. The same applies for foreign business expenditure and expenditure of domestic households abroad.

Estimation of the final household consumption expenditures (FHCE) is done on the basis of different data sources, model calculations, methodological adjustments and adjustments for exhaustiveness. More detailed description of data sources and methods can be found in the Gross National Income Inventory:

Compilation of FHCE is carried out within several steps. Firstly the initial estimate of FHCE is prepared using all available data sources and models. This estimate includes all expenditures of resident households in the Czech Republic we call it 'DOM'. The compilation is done in COICOP classification. Due to supply and use tables that are compiled in product classification (CPA) FHCE in COICOP classification is transformed to CPA classification by the transition key. This key was prepared by expert of the Czech Statistical Office and it describes relationship between purpose classification (COICOP) and product classification (CPA). Purchases of residents abroad can be divided into the following items:

•  Consumption of temporary workers abroad (estimated by the Czech Statistical Office)
•   Tourism (taken over from the Balance of Payment)
  •  Expenditures on other business trips
  • Expenditures on health stays
• • Expenditures on educational stays
  • Expenditures on private trips

Commodity structure for each item is different and it is based on the expert estimate.

Final household consumption expenditures are recorded in the Czech national accounts in national concept (NC) i.e. consumption of residents in the Czech Republic and abroad:

 FHCE(NC) = FHCE(COM) + residents_abroad

 

For international comparison (PPP), price statistics (HICP) and other purposes final household consumption expenditures in domestic concept (DC) is estimated as well. The formula is used:

FHCE(DC) = FHCE(NC) - residents_abroad + non_residents

 

Purchases of non-residents in the Czech Republic can be divided into the following items:

• Consumption of temporary workers and students in the Czech Republic (estimated by the Czech Statistical Office) 

• Tourism (taken over from the Balance of Payment)
  
  • Expenditures on other business trips
  • Expenditures on health stays
  • Expenditures on private trips 

Commodity structure for each item is different and it is based on the expert estimate.

Finally balancing adjustments are incorporated. During balancing of commodity flows within supply and use tables the balance of resources and uses has to be found for each product.  It means that some (the least reliable) component of supply or use side is changed to reach the balance. Usually total amount of purchases of residents and non-residents is not changed however some adjustments in structure may occur. Balancing adjustments to expenditures of residents in the Czech Republic (DOM) are common because of weak data sources for some items.

Prices are collected only for items typical for household consumption within the country. 

Fines & penalties are not taken into account.

Specific areas (both HICP and CPI):

• Services and materials for the maintenance and repair of the dwelling are included (minor only).
• Consumer durables are included.
• Charges for financial services are included (only financial services directly charged).
• Non-life insurance services are included.
• Payments of households for licences, permits, etc. are included.
• Output at not economically significant prices is excluded.
• Income in kind is excluded.
• Social transfers in kind/in cash are excluded.
• Services of owner-occupied dwellings are excluded from HICP/Included in CPI.
• Purchase of land is excluded.
• Purchase of valuables is excluded.
• Expenditures by households for business purposes are excluded.
• Current taxes on income and wealth are excluded.
• Subscriptions and contributions to NPISHs, purchase of services of NPISHs at an economically significant price are excluded.
• Voluntary transfers for charity are excluded.
• Payments of property income, including interest are excluded.
• Compulsory or voluntary social contributions are excluded.
• Life insurance and pension funding services are excluded.
• Net non-life insurance premiums are included.
• Transfers between households are excluded.
• Fines, penalties are excluded.
• Lotteries and gambling are excluded.

3.7. Reference area

Please see the information under the next point.

3.7.1. Geographical coverage

The HICP refers to the economic territory of a country as referred to in paragraph 2.05 of Annex A to ESA 2010, with the exception that the extraterritorial enclaves situated within the boundaries of a Member State or a country are included and the territorial enclaves situated in the rest of the world are excluded.

3.8. Coverage - Time

Please see the information under the next points.

3.8.1. Start of time series

The HICP series started in January 1997.

3.8.2. Start of time series - national specifics

See the HICP database.

Czech HICP index series starts from January 1996 (for all-items HICP and 12 main headings).

Indices for classes and groups (ECOICOP3 and ECOICOP4) are available from December 1999.

Indices for sub-groups (ECOICOP5) are available from December 2014.

3.9. Base period

2015=100.

The following units are used:

• Index point
• Percentage change on the same period of the previous year (rates);
• Percentage change on the previous period (rates);
• Percentage share of the total (weights).

HICP is a monthly statistics.

6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements

Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICPs) are harmonised inflation figures required under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Regulation (EU) 2016/792 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 May 2016 (OJ L 135) sets the legal basis for establishing a harmonised methodology for the compilation of the HICP and the HICP-CT.

This regulation is implemented by Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/1148 of 31 July 2020.

Further methodological documentation, namely recommendations and guidelines, is available in the HICP dedicated section, under 'Methodology'.

6.1.1. Legal acts - deviations

All legal acts have been implemented; HICP is compliant with most HICP regulations and guidelines. Eurostat assesses the Czech HICP to be comparable to that of the other EU Member States.

Last Compliance Monitoring report dates to January 2020, with a follow-up report in February 2023. Both can be found on the page Quality - Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) - Eurostat (europa.eu).

6.1.2. National legal acts and other agreements

Statistical surveys in the Czech Republic are in compliance with Act No. 89/1995 Coll., on the State Statistical Service, as amended, conducted by the Czech Statistical Office and individual workplaces of the state statistical service at the ministries. An overview of statistical surveys is published every year in the form of a Decree on the Programme of Statistical Surveys. Based on the Decree a reporting duty arises.

Another national regulations which aim for ensuring the production of price indices.

• The program of statistical surveys under Act No. 89/1995 Coll., on State Statistical Service, as amended.
• Directive No. 6/2020 laying down the procedure for the publication of statistical information.
• Directive No. 1/2022 regulating the transmission of the statistical information from the CZSO to external users.
• Directive No. 8/2022 on the principles of latest figures in News Releases and selected outputs provision from the CZSO.

No national legislation as regards price statistics makes reference to HICP standards.

National legislation does not determine creation of any particular datasets connected with CPI/HICP. Nevertheless many national  laws  expect implicitly that monthly CPI and various sub-indices exist for inflation adjustment:

• social services
• pensions
• retirement houses
• boarding-out allowance, travel expenses

No rules in national legislation restrict the implementation of HICP standards.

6.1.3. Access to administrative data

National authorities are not obliged by law to grant access to administrative data for the purposes of price statistics. But individual agreements between national authorities exist, if considered necessary.

6.1.4. Organisation unit - portfolio

Central Statistical Office structure (part):

4 MACROECONOMIC STATISTICS

    41 National Accounts

    42 Government and Financial Accounts

    43 Price Statistics

                     (Director: Vladimír Cába; responsible for the implementation of Price Statistics legislation)

        4301 Agriculture, Construction and (Business) Services Price Statistics Unit

        4302 Industrial and External Trade Price Statistics Unit

        4303 Consumer Prices Statistics Unit  (includes Housing Price Statistics and Purchasing Power Parities)

                     (Head: Pavla Šedivá)

    44 External Trade Statistics

6.1.5. Regional organisation of consumer price statistics

7 REGIONAL AUTHORITIES BRANCH

71 CZSO Regional Office PRAHA

72 CZSO Regional Office Central Bohemia - field survey employers (working a major part of their working time as price collectors, the rest of it being HBS)

73 to 79 to 85 other Regional Offices - field survey employers (working a major part of their working time as price collectors, the rest of it being HBS) 

78 CZSO Regional Office Hradec Králové

7803 Section for Processing of Consumer and Agricultural Prices

Procedures

(Central Statistical Office) CPI unit - responsible for methodology, data collection for the data collected centrally, part of final data processing, quality adjustment procedures, publication and dissemination of results (1)

(7803 Section for Processing of Consumer and Agricultural Prices) CPI data collection supervision, data checking and processing (including computer programming) (2)

(Regional Offices) Price collectors (employees of CZSO) (3)

Control

Price collectors (3) are supervised by (2) and to some extent by (1), unit (2) is supervised by unit (1), unit (1) is to some extent supervised by the Advisory Body, which influences also the methodological aspects of CPI/HICP. Advisory Body consists of the Czech National Bank, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry for Regional Development and various professional and social associations.

The procedures for CPI and HICP are the same for levels (3) and (2), differences occur only on level (1). In terms of law the CPIs are produced only within the general framework of the Statistical Law, specific aspects of HICPs are regulated according to the European law.

Due to mobile collecting technologies contact between all levels (1), (2) and (3) is permanent, if necessary.

Once per year, all price collectors (3) and staff of the level (2) participate in the meeting in Prague (1) to exchange experiences, for specialised trainings and to be informed about expected changes.

On the level (1) regular meetings to discuss methodology and HICP requirements (several times per year).

6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing

None.

7.1. Confidentiality - policy

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 11 March 2009, on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, as last amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/3018, of 27 November 2024.

7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

Aggregation of disclosive information, aggregation rules on aggregated confidential data, primary confidentiality with regard to single data values.

In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see point 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.

8.1. Release calendar

The HICP is released according to Eurostat’s Release calendar.

The calendar is publically available and published at the end of the year for the full following year.

8.2. Release calendar access

HICP see Eurostat's website Overview - Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) - Eurostat.

CPI:

Aggregate consumer price index (for households total) broken by 12 divisions of ECOICOP classification is published as 'Press Release' on the 10^th calendar day following the end of reporting months at Czech Statistical Office | Statistics. The following day the publication 'Consumer Price Indices - Basic Information' is published.

 

More detailed data on the consumer price indices (down to ECOICOP4 = class level are then published monthly on web site in the document 'Consumer Price Indices (cost of living) - Detailed Information' which is released on the 25^th day following the end of reporting period. The publication 'Consumer Price Indices (cost of living)- Detailed Information' providing data for the whole year is published on yearly basis on the 25^th of January. 

This means, that HICP details (down to ECOICOP5 = sub-class level) are published earlier in the Eurostat online database.

Publications are released according to the Catalogue of Products published on web sites of the CZSO.

Publications with the consumer price indices:

Monthly: Consumer Price Indices – Basic information; Consumer Price Index - Detailed information

Quarterly: Indicators of Social and Economic Development of the Czech Republic

List of news releases with consumer price indices:

Monthly: Consumer Price Indices - Inflation

8.3. Release policy - user access

Users are informed that the data is being released by a publication calendar.

There is no pre-access for any user.

Press release for CPI includes also HICP annual and monthly rate for all-items level. Published on the internet for all users. No privileged users exist. The link to Eurostat website is included. No more HICP data published by the NSI.

Monthly.

10.1. Dissemination format - News release

HICP total index is published together with CPI Press Release.

Press release for CPI includes also HICP annual and monthly rate for all-items level (Czech, English).

Press release is published on the internet for all users. No privileged users exist. The link to Eurostat website is included. No more HICP data published by the NSI.

10.2. Dissemination format - Publications

Detailed HICP is not published by the Czech Statistical Office (CSO).

CSO publishes only CPI. Publications refer to Eurostat HICP database for HICP detailed indices.

CPI is published as follows:

Monthly data:

• Basic indices 2015=100
• Annual rates of change
• Monthly rates of change
• 12-month average rate of change

Regularly are calculated also breakdowns of m-o-m and y-o-y changes in the consumer price indices expressing the contribution (in % or percentage points) of individual components of consumption basket to the aggregate index change.

10.3. Dissemination format - online database

Link to the online database where the HICP is disseminated: HICP database.

10.3.1. Publication levels

Detailed HICP is not published by the Czech Statistical Office.

CPI is published up to COICOP3, for food up to COICOP4.

HICP is published in Eurostat HICP database to ECOICOP5 level and higher.

CPI is published by Czech Statistical Office to ECOICOP4 level and higher (see site on inflation consumer prices).

10.3.2. Publication by regions

Regional CPI/HICP are not produced. 

The only exception is CPI for capital city (Prague):

Households living in the capital of Prague - the weighting scheme was constructed on the basis of expenditure structure of households living in Prague in compliance with data from the family account statistics. Average prices or representatives are calculated as simple arithmetic mean from prices surveyed in the capital of Prague save for representatives spa services, ski tow ticket, accommodation in hotels, board houses, chalets, boarding house and university hostel, meals in canteen, university admissions fee, school fee at higher technical school, school fee at private university where the calculation uses average consumer prices for CR.

10.3.3. Publication by households

HICP is not produced for specific household groups.

CPI is produced for all households and for the households of old age pensioners.

Households of pensioners - the weighting scheme was constructed on the basis of expenditure structure of households of pensioners. For statistical purposes they are defined as households without economically active members, i.e. person in the head of household is not economically active pensioner and no other member of the household is economically active.

Difference in weighting schemes between individual groups of households ensues from different economic and living conditions, which are reflected in more or less differentiated structures of household expenditures. Weighting schemes for households of pensioners do not include imputed rentals.

10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access

Micro data are provided on demand only at NSI.

No privileged users exist, but there is closer cooperation with Czech National Bank and Ministry of Finance.

10.5. Dissemination format - other

Paper dissemination was abandoned.

10.6. Documentation on methodology

The HICP Methodological Manual 2024 provides the reference methodology for the production of HICP.

10.6.1. Further methodological guidelines available at national level

Methodology description in English on website page: Inflation, Inflation Rate - Methodology | CZSO.

It includes:

• User's methodological manual
• Composition of the consumer basket (including history; down to ECOICOP5).

10.7. Quality management - documentation

See Eurostat's Compliance Monitoring Report of January 2020 and follow-up report of February 2023. Both can be found on the page Quality - Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) - Eurostat (europa.eu).

11.1. Quality assurance

See next points.

11.1.1. Quality management - Compliance Monitoring

Compliance Monitoring.

11.1.2. Quality assurance - national specifics

Production/methodology

CPI production is subject to audits of experts from both the NSI and external users. Audits are targeted to methodology and the organisation of the CPI production process. Last national audits on CPI production were performed in 2005 and 2012.

Every year CSO holds regular meeting of advisory Committee on CPI based of experts from main users to ensure relevance of CPI production.

Details of the CPI/HICP are often solved in Advisory Committee

Continuous control of the data flow 

Continuous controls are targeted on the quality of the data.

Stage 1 - Price information gathered by the price collectors is checked by the special central office staff. Price collection takes the first 3 weeks of the reference month. Extreme price deviations are sorted out with the help of software. There is no automatic rejection; all suspicious data are re-checked by collectors. Centrally collected prices are entered into the system by central office staff. A 'preliminary index' is then processed by central office staff. This stage ends towards the end of the reference month. Price collection independently supervised.

Price collection is randomly checked by a supervisor. (Price can be checked the same day in the same outlet by independent person).

Stage 2 - Central staff checks the preliminary results. It is possible to see all price details and to perform checking of both individual prices and indices. Then quality adjustment and re-sampling/replacement procedures are carried out. The CPI is then compiled again. This can be repeated several times. Final results are approved and prepared for publication.

Stage 3 - HICP is derived from CPI sub-indices. HICP-CT is derived from HICP sub-indices. HICP thus inherits data checks of CPI.

11.2. Quality management - assessment

See next points.

11.2.1. Compliance monitoring - last report and main results

The last available compliance or follow-up report can be found in the page: Quality - Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) - Eurostat (europa.eu)

11.2.2. Quality assessment - national specifics

Restricted from publication

12.1. Relevance - User Needs

In addition to being a general measure of inflation, the HICP is also used in the areas of:

• wages, social benefit and contract indexation;
• economic forecasting and analysis;
• measuring specific price trends;
• accounting purposes and deflating other series;
• inflation targeting by central banks;
• cross-country economic comparisons.

The euro area (evolving composition) index is used by the European Central Bank (ECB) as the main indicator for monetary policy management. The ECB and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) use the HICP for assessing price stability and price convergence required for entry into European Monetary Union.

Other users include: National Central Banks, financial institutions, economic analysts, the media and the public at large.

12.1.1. User Needs - national specifics

In national legislation CPI serves mainly as compensative factor (e.g. national pension scheme).

Besides as a general measure of inflation, CPI have a variety of potential other uses, for example (level of importance descending):

• inflation targeting by central banks.
• wage, social benefit and contract indexation;
• accounting purposes and deflating other series;
• input to economic forecasting and analysis;
• measuring specific price trends;

At national level CPI is preferred to HICP.  Generally, HICPs are in particular considered suitable for cross-country economic comparisons.

12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction

To assist creation of CPI concepts, Advisory Committee is summoned by the Czech Statistical Office.

The Advisory Committee consists of representatives of ministries, CNB, research institutes, Economic University, trade-unions, organizations of the retired and selected branches of the CZSO. Meetings are held regularly.

The Committee discusses the updating of the consumer basket and methodology of the consumer price processing in the next periods. But the board has no direct influence on the HICP. However the active involvement of users at a national level may influence discussion at the European level.

Opinions of the users not in Committee are not systematically collected.

12.3. Completeness

All COICOP indices at 5-digit level (ECOICOP) accounting for more than one part in a thousand of the total expenditure are produced.

Exceptions (no NA or HBS information is available concerning the value of consumption):

04.1.2     Other actual rentals

04.1.2.1   Actual rentals paid by tenants for secondary residences

04.3.2.5   Services of carpenters

05.2.0.9   Other household textiles

09.2.1      Major durables for outdoor recreation

The same is valid for HICP-CT.

13.1. Accuracy - overall

The accuracy of HICP is generally considered to be high. The accuracy of source data is monitored by assessing the methodological soundness of price and weight sources and the adherence to the methodological recommendations. There is a variety of data sources both for weights (National Account data, Household Budget Survey data, etc.) and prices (visits to local retailers and service providers and central collection via mail, telephone, e-mail and the internet are used). The type of survey and the price collection methods ensure sufficient coverage and timeliness. The outlets, from which prices are collected, are chosen to represent the existing trade and services network and they are based usually on three main criteria:

• Popularity with consumers,
• Significant turnover from consumer sales and
• Availability of goods and services included in the HICP basket.

All the private households in the economic territory of the country are covered, whether resident or not and irrespective of their income.

13.2. Sampling error

The HICPs are statistical estimates that are subject to sampling errors because they are based on a sample of consumer prices and household expenditures, which are not the complete universe of all prices/expenditures.

The exact sampling error is not known.

The NSI tries to reduce the sampling errors by using a sample of consumer prices that is as large as possible, given resource constraints. The NSIs use models that optimise the allocation of resources by indicating the number of prices that should be observed in each geographic area and each item category, in order to minimize the variance of the all-items index.

Non-probability sampling is used.

13.3. Non-sampling error

Possible influence to the non-sampling error and the bias risks associated with HICP:

• Under coverage - consumption of upper class is not well known.
• Survey instrument, respondent and interviewer where relevant - minimised by independent controls of price collectors.
• Unit (non)response including causes for non-response, item non-response for key variables - no serious problems so far registered.
• Data editing, coding and imputation where relevant - minimised by consistency checks, comparison of similar prices, previous prices; imputations is limited only to seasonal items

13.3.1. Coverage error

Coverage error as divergence between the frame population and the target population is not known, but is expected to be mostly due to a lack of detailed information on spending of high-income part of the population.

13.3.1.1. Coverage error population

No national deviation from the definition of the statistical target population.

13.3.1.2. Coverage error regions

Generally, no geographical parts are excluded from coverage in weights; the price collection is not done in small towns and villages and in some districts, but the price level and development is well represented by the data collection elsewhere.

14.1. Timeliness

The full set of HICPs is published each month according to a pre-announced schedule, usually between 15 and 18 days after the end of the reference month. Each year, the January news release is published at the end of February to allow for the annual update of the weights of individual product groups and the relative country weights of Members States in the country-group aggregates.

The euro area flash estimate is published on the last working day of the reference month or shortly after that.

14.1.1. Time lag - final result

Data referring to the reference month are collected continuously from the first to the 20th day of the month. Administrative sources or public information (e.g. tariff prices) usually refer to the whole reference month. Final CPI data are first released 9-10th calendar day of the following month. HICP is derived from CPI and send next day to Eurostat within the agreed time schedule.

14.1.2. Timeliness of sub-indices

CPI and HICP sub-indices are produced together with total results at the same time.

HICPs are compiled every month completely. Sub-indices for a given month always use prices which refer to the same month.

14.2. Punctuality

Since the March 1997, launch of the HICP release, the HICP for the country groups aggregates has always been published on the pre-announced release dates.

15.1. Comparability - geographical

HICPs across Member States aim to be comparable. Any differences at all levels of detail should only reflect differences in price changes or expenditure patterns.

To this end, concepts and methods have been harmonised by means of legislation. HICPs that deviate from these concepts and methods are deemed comparable if they result in an index that is estimated to differ systematically by less than or equal to 0.1 percentage points on average over one year against the previous year (Article 4 of Council and Parliament Regulation (EU) 2016/792).

15.2. Comparability - over time

HICP data are fully comparable over time. There have been several improvements in methodology since the HICP was introduced with the aim of improving reliability and comparability of the HICP. 

Information on the main re-referencing and revisions

HICP is derived from CPI, CPI is biannually chained index (minor updates of sample continuously, minor methodological amendments annually).

No revisions of published CPI or HICP indices ever occurred (since 1995). 

Overview of HICP re-referencing: 1996 = 100, 2005 = 100, 2015=100.

No statistical breaks or interruptions in the HICP series due to changes in the methods have occurred.

15.3. Coherence - cross domain

Differences between the HICP and national CPI

The following expenditure is included in the HICP but excluded from the national CPI: consumption expenditure of non-residents in the economic territory.

The following consumption expenditure is included in national CPI but excluded from HICP: Monetary expenditure of investments in the owner-occupied house is measured (purchase of the dwelling itself, self-builders, renovations and major repairs). Insurance of dwellings of owner-occupiers is included.

Games of chance, drugs, prostitution etc. are excluded both from CPI and HICP.

Methodology, territorial coverage and product coverage is the same. Small exception HICP index for COICOP 11.2 Accommodation services differs from CPI (luxury tourist hotels, namely in Prague are not in CPI, but they are in HICP).

 

Sharing information between statistical units

There is methodological cooperation and sharing of experience namely between: CPI and PPI, CPI and Business Services Price Index.

For revisions of CPI/HICP cooperation with NA and HBS is necessary.

15.4. Coherence - internal

The HICPs are internally coherent. Higher level aggregations are derived from detailed indices according to well-defined procedures.

Not available.

17.1. Data revision - policy

The HICP series, including back data, is revisable under the terms set in Articles 17-20 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1148.

17.1.1. Data revision - policy - national specifics

There is no specific national policy for correcting mistakes and errors in CPI/HICP production. Discovery of an error would have to be considered by a special body, consisting of the President, statistical directors and relevant experts. The solution should follow CZSO general principles on dissemination policy. Regarding the specific solution found, a possible revision of previous results might occur. For HICP the relevant Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1148 articles concerning revisions of HICP would be respected.

No mistakes have been discovered yet that would have required treatment according to this regulation on the compilation of the HICP.

Transparency and control of disseminated data is supported by the fact that CPI detailed indices (to the level of EA) can be provided to users on demand. Typically Czech National Bank and Ministry of Finance require regularly the information (data and explanation). 

17.2. Data revision - practice

Revisions of the results (index numbers)

Index series were not revised in the period of 2010-2024.

Revisions of the methodology and weighting schemes

Major (planned) revisions of detailed CPI basket weights based on specifically targeted Household Budget Survey are performed every 5-6 years. The last one was done in 2023. For HICP based on CPI sub-indices, the revision (planned) of weights based mainly on National Accounts data is performed every year, with the possible inclusion of new sub-indices. Methodical changes induced by the harmonisation process are usually introduced both in CPI and HICP. Where the HICP methodology might be contradictory to the national concept of CPI, a specific sub-index might be calculated as a duplicate - one for CPI use, the other for HICP.

18.1. Source data

Please see information under the next points.

18.1.1. Weights

See details in the following points.

18.1.1.1. Compilation at elementary aggregate level

There are 425 explicit weights at Elementary Aggregate level plus 23 explicit weights of complex sub-indices (mostly tariff items, like electricity, gas, transport services, financial services, insurance, etc.).

Each tariff sub-index has internal weights of its items (but variable number through time).

The weighting reference period used in 2025 is the year 2024; the weighting reference period used in 2024 was the year 2023.

Generally, the expenditure shares at sub-index level are derived from data sources for year t-2 and (partly) year t-1; these shares are updated to make them representative for t-1.  

Weights of elementary aggregates are updated every 2 years (more often for some main headings, like food and beverages). Weights of complex sub-indices and their internal weights (weights of its internal structures) are updated annually.

The lowest aggregated level is ECOICOP5 where weights are sum of subordinated EAs and (possible) sub-indices.

The main source of EA weights is HBS; also NA, scanner data (namely for food and beverages), market research (GfK).

Other important information sources to improve details (individual products): Insurance Association (insurance), electricity and gas distributors (electricity, gas), Czech Railways (passenger railway transport), banks (financial services), external experts (new and second-hand cars), municipalities (local public transport in big cities).

Judgmental adjustments or equal weights are used only if there is no other source of data available (exceptionally).

For the purpose of the consumer price revision the Social Surveys Unit of the CZSO carried out an extraordinary annual survey with very detailed breakdown of household financial resources in 2020.

Source for weights for regions is regional NA.

HBS data are often corrected by NA. Weights are corrected for net weight approach for insurances. Moreover, the data are compared with previous sets of weights to identify possible errors and to trace possible/impossible changes within consumption structure of households. Results are discussed with NA in order to improve the quality of weights. 

No explicit weights for outlets are generally used. Where scanner data is used (food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, pharmaceutical products, non-durable household goods) the weights for outlets (retail chains) are derived from the scanner data. For tariff price index - explicit weights are derived from the turnover of the tariff providers (eg. electricity - from the electricity companies).

18.1.1.2. List of elementary aggregates

The lowest level of aggregation (number of digits) where explicit weights are introduced is ECOICOP and elementary aggregates. 

Prices used for elementary aggregation indices are weighted internally by regional weights. Regional weights are estimated as a proportion of relative share of HFMCE within country.

Outlets weights are not used, but their relative shares on the market are used to adjust data collection.

18.1.1.3. Compilation of sub-index weights

General procedure

The weights at sub-index level (ECOICOP 5) are generally derived from annual National Accounts based on t-2 and usually considered to be an appropriate estimate of t-1 expenditures. Weights are always price updated to December t-1. Weights for insurance services are calculated as a moving average of the last 3 years. Weights of EA are not explicitly price updated.

Specific procedure (weights for 2025)

The expenditure shares at sub-index level: The estimates for the 2024 expenditures (t-1) were based on the available quarterly NA data of the year 2023 at the level of 3-digit ECOICOP. This information was used as a 'base frame' for the weighting scheme to be used for HICP in 2025. Then, the most recent version of 2022 NA expenditures (t-2) were used as a source to make finer breakdown of the weighting scheme at ECOICOP 4-digit and 5-digit levels. The estimates based on NA data were adjusted for the differences between HFMCE and the total final household consumption. The final household consumption expenditures used followed the domestic concept.

Main data sources for the 2025 HICP relative weights

• Quarterly NA 2024 household expenditures as a frame for the compilation of the weights (Q1, Q2 and Q3; Q4 was estimated),
• Yearly NA 2023 household expenditures for most of the detailed weights,
• 2024 Short term statistics (STS) for some individual detailed weights (where necessary),

Integration of the 4th quarter of t-1 (2024) into the calculations of the sub-index weights

The national accounts ECOICOP 3-digit level data were available for the first three quarters of 2024 and for all quarters of 2023, while there were no data for the fourth quarter of 2023. Data for the fourth quarter of 2024 were estimated by applying the average quarterly change in consumption between Q1-Q3 of 2024 and Q1-Q3 of 2023 applied to Q4 of 2023. The calculations were done at the level of each ECOICOP group (3-digit). Some further adjustments of the Q4 were done.  

18.1.1.4. Price updating

General procedure

Price-updating (from t-2) to the previous year's (t-1) average price level is not done (usually).
Price-updating (from t-1) to the previous year's December price level (Dec of t-1) is performed every year.
Price-updating practice is applied only at ECOICOP 5 level.
Relative weights for elementary aggregates within sub-groups (ECOICOP 5 level) are updated only as a part of resampling or ad-hoc changes (similar to resampling).

Specific procedure (weights for 2024)

Since the HICP of year t is defined as a Laspeyres-type index where the weights refer to t-1 and the price reference period corresponds to December t-1, the expenditure shares for 2024, obtained for each sub-index, were multiplied by the difference (ratio) between the corresponding HICP sub-index for the average of 2024 and December 2024, thus following the normal procedure. The price-updating between the year t-1 (2024) and the December t-1 (Dec 2024) was done at the level of sub-classes (5-digit ECOICOP). 

18.1.2. Prices

The price data is mostly based on survey; administrative data sources are used only in specific cases.

18.1.2.1. Prices Data Source - detailed information

Restricted from publication

18.1.2.2. Price collection survey

Details for each ECOICOP class concerning:

• whether the data is mainly collected by shop visits or centrally by office staff using internet
• number of items
• number of observations per year

18.1.2.3. Administrative data sources

Administrative data source is used mainly for:

• electricity,
• gas
• medicaments (partly)
• railway transport
• telecommunications
• insurance
• financial services

Sources for each administrative data see particular section of '18.5.5. Specific product groups'.

18.1.2.4. Transaction data - general information

Scanner data are collected and processed for eleven big hypermarket chains and three small supermarket chains. Data have been included into CPI/HICP calculations.

18.1.2.5. Web scraping - general information

Bulk web scraped data not used.

18.1.3. Sampling

Geographical

1. Please describe how the sample is stratified geographically.

Price collection is done in Prague and in 35 districts (NUTS4) out of a total of 75. The surveyed districts are evenly spread over the country. The regional collection is done in the central town of the districts and close surroundings (namely hypermarkets and supermarkets around).

2. Are regional indices published?

No.

Outlet

1. Please describe how the outlet sample is drawn for surveys.

The majority of respondents are selected by the field survey department employees of the CZSO upon an agreement with the owner (authorised person) of a selected reporting unit of the reporting network. For centrally surveyed prices the selection of reporting units is done by the Consumer Prices Statistics Section of the CZSO Prague.

 

2. How often is the outlet sample updated?

A major outlet sample update occurs every 5-6 years and coincides with the general index revision (based on detailed Household Budget Survey).

3. What categories of outlets are distinguished?

Respondents are important centres of sale or provision of services to the population in the district, i.e. the reporting network includes hypermarkets and supermarkets. Included are also Asian sellers in stone shops, however, not those in the open-air market places.


Sample

1. Please describe how the sample of products is drawn.

The specification of EA is rather loose and comes from central CPI staff. Definitions of EA are given by central staff and reflect the most typical expenditure groups. As price representatives (EAs) were chosen those products which express with sufficient precision and reliability the average change of price level of all products and services included in the respective ECOICOP subclass for which they were chosen.

The choice of representative items (EA) was done by the method of purposive sample enabling primarily to test the usefulness and uselessness of classification of present price representatives and preserve all representatives whose contribution to the consumption remains dominating. Mainly their weight contribution to the structure of consumption was considered (at least 0.5 per mille, less in those cases when it was necessary to maintain the ECOICOP subclass sample). Further, the stability of the selected EA in the market and its easy interchangeability in the future are considered.

 

 2. How frequently is the sample of products updated?

 Annually and kept updated during the year by replacements.

18.1.3.1. Sampling design - locations for survey

Price collection is done in Prague and in 35 districts (NUTS4) out of a total of 75. The surveyed districts are evenly spread over the country. The regional collection is done in the central town of the districts and close surroundings (namely hypermarkets and supermarkets around).

A survey of rentals is also conducted in other small towns outside the centre town of the district.

According to the size of the municipality surveyed, per each representative Elementary Aggregate, the prices in 1 up to 16 outlets are surveyed – the biggest number of prices (16) is observed in the Capital of Prague. Each employee of the field survey department surveys on monthly basis prices of the representative items usually at 1-2 outlets, depending on variability of prices of a respective representative item (product within EA).

Typical number of surveyed prices for EA is:

• 14 prices (1 price per region and 1 price in Prague),
• 21 prices (1 price per region and 8 prices in Prague),
• 55 prices (1 price per each interviewer of the field survey in district and 16 prices in Prague),
• 94 prices (2 prices per each interviewer of the field survey in district and 16 in Prague).

Exceptions from the abovementioned scheme: centrally observed prices, scanner data, prices surveyed on the Internet, rentals, spa treatment, etc.

18.1.3.2. Sampling design - outlets

In total, about 8 000 outlets in the country are chosen for the survey. Outlets are selected on the regional level (but with central recommendations as to the proportion of basic outlet types) according to local knowledge about retail sales distribution for each of the consumer basket items (EA-elementary aggregate). In practice, outlets are selected/replaced by price collectors mostly after identifying the non-availability/non-representativity of the outlet previously selected.

Outlet selection is centrally adjusted based on information about shares of sales for individual groups of products between basic outlet types and between individual hypermarket chains. A major outlet sample update occurs every 5-6 years and coincides with the general index revision (based on detailed Household Budget Survey).

Internet shopping is included in the index; market stalls are included for fresh fruit and vegetables.

A kind of general outlet survey is done every year in cooperation with GfK for particular goods and services.

Reporting network is constituted by shops (including hypermarkets, supermarkets, chain stores), service shops and other institutions providing services (approx. 8000) - hereinafter only the 'respondents' (outlets).

Consumer prices are surveyed in 35 selected districts in the Czech Republic and in the Capital of Prague.

The Capital of Prague splits into 8 territories (strata), Brno into 3 strata, Plzeň and Liberec split into 2 strata. Maps of strata are deposited in the Regional Office of the CZSO in Hradec Králové (hereafter RO in Hradec Králové) and also with one of the respective employees of field survey department.

Majority of respondents are selected by the field survey department employees of the CZSO upon an agreement with the owner (authorised person) of a selected reporting unit of the reporting network. For centrally surveyed prices the selection of reporting units is done by the Consumer Prices Statistics Section of the CZSO Prague.

Respondents are important centres of sale or provision of services to the population in the district, i.e. the reporting network includes hypermarkets and supermarkets. Included are also Asian sellers in stone shops, however, not those in the open-air market places.

18.2. Frequency of data collection

Price data is collected every month.

18.3. Data collection

For approximately a third of the consumer basket the local price survey (field price survey) is applied by the field survey employees of the CZSO (total of 46 employees).

Next part, more than a third, of consumer basket is constituted by centrally surveyed prices

Last data source is scanner data (SD, data from retail chain cash registers). Their gradual implementation into the process of calculation of inflation rate began in 2019. 

18.3.1. Timing of price collection

The prices are collected between the 1st and the 20th day of each month.

Generally, all EAs are priced every month, but some of them do not have price or do not occur continually in the market like:

• seasonal goods (clothing, footwear),
• yearly charges and fees (education fees, dancing courses, almanac/diary…)

Petrol and diesel fuels for personal transport equipment are priced every week – four times per month.

Prices of goods are entered for the month in which they are observed, prices of services are entered for the month in which the consumption of the service at the observed prices can begin. Package holidays are treated as services.

18.3.2. Devices for price collection

The surveyed consumer prices are recorded by the field survey department employees using tablets.

Benefits:

• on line exchange of information with price collectors
• constant (daily) flow of data, possibility to process partial sets of collected data
• supervision of price collectors
• minimum number of errors of collected data
• costs of data collection (namely in terms of necessary time) is known.

18.4. Data validation

Price collectors: Electronic devices used for primary data collection/editing - first validation for price extremes and correct editing.

Data processing: Second validation - checking for extraordinary low/high prices within Elementary Aggregate, checking for correct codes, checking for extra price movements within time.

Final calculations, publications: Validation of individual results after quality adjustments procedures. Assessment of overall results.

18.4.1. Data validation - Survey data

Price collectors: Electronic devices used for primary data collection/editing - first validation for price extremes and correct editing.

Price information gathered by the price collectors is checked by the special central office staff. Price collection takes the first 3 weeks of the reference month. Extreme price deviations are sorted out with the help of software. There is no automatic rejection; all suspicious data are re-checked by collectors. Centrally collected prices are entered into the system by central office staff.

Price collection is randomly checked by a supervisor. (Price can be checked the same day in the same outlet by independent person)

Data processing: Second validation - checking for extraordinary low/high prices within Elementary Aggregate, checking for correct codes, checking for extra price movements within time. A 'preliminary index' is then processed by central office staff. This stage ends towards the end of the reference month.

Central staff checks the preliminary results. It is possible to see all price details and to perform checking of both individual prices and indices. Then quality adjustment and re-sampling/replacement procedures are carried out. The CPI is then compiled again. This can be repeated several times. 

Checks for data consistency.

Final calculations, publications: Validation of individual results after quality adjustments procedures. Assessment of overall results. Final results are approved and prepared for publication.

HICP is derived from CPI sub-indices. HICP-CT is derived from HICP sub-indices.

CPIs and HICPs are approved by the highest management of the CZSO in the context of the current economic situation in the country.

Price Statistics Department has to explain all the price movements in CPI in relation with the changes of the supply/demand on the consumer market, administrative changes and external influences on the economy.

18.4.2. Data validation - transaction data, web scraping and large administrative data

Collected prices are compared against the previous data and the similar prices.

Extreme prices or price changes are always immediately checked in the outlet.

It is possible, because the data flow is continuous.

18.4.3. Data validation - weights

Weights for the annual updating obtained from NA are checked against long term trends in the time series or relative weights.

Similar process is done for the weights at lower levels, if possible/applicable.

18.4.4. Indices

The plausibility of indices is checked against price indices, where the similar movements can be expected: either in CPI or PPI or export import or agricultural production or business services areas.

18.5. Data compilation

1. Please confirm that the HICP is a Laspeyres-type index.

The HICP is a Laspeyres-type index.

2. What elementary price index formulae are used?

For elementary aggregation, the Dutot price index (ratio of arithmetic means) is used.

3. Please specify the number of decimals that are applied for:

The following rules are used for the number of decimals: 

• Price observations: 2 decimals
• Weights (per thousand): 6 decimal
• Compilation and transmission of indices: >10 decimals
• Publication of indices: 1 decimal
• Rates of changes: compiled from the indices with 1 decimal.

4. Please specify the cases for which rounding or truncation of the number of decimals are used.

In all instances ‘round half away from zero’ is used for rounding.

18.5.1. Elementary price index formulae

Czech CPI/HICP is a Laspeyres-type index covering the ECOICOP international classification.

The ratio of the arithmetic means is universally used for computing the elementary price indices. No alternative formula is used.

The average price of the elementary aggregate for the CR is calculated as weighted arithmetic mean of prices for regions calculated by simple arithmetic mean. The weight corresponds to the estimated relative consumption in the region in 2023.

An exception is the average price calculation for the Czech Republic in respect of the following representative items: rentals and services related to the use of dwelling in rental houses, payment for the use of co-operative dwellings and services related to the use of co-operative dwelling, spa treatment fully covered by patient, second-hand cars, fuel, air transport, tow tickets, holiday abroad (stay by the sea-side), school fees at higher technical school, university admissions fee, school fee at private university, lunch in the canteen, accommodation in student hostel, insurance of a house, dwelling and accident insurance, insurance of cars including compulsory cover. Average price calculation for these items is specific (e.g. number of patients in spa).

The formula is compliant with HICP legislation. Using of arithmetic averages (rather than geometric mean) is preferred for the parallel use of mean prices as public 'Average prices' (better understanding, interpretation).

The number of decimals

• Full price for observation (= one decimal: price xx.x CZK), no rounding.
• For consecutive calculations 2 decimals are used (= usually 4 to 6 valid digits).
• For weights, 6 decimals are used.
• For internal calculations (aggregations, chaining) 4 decimals are used for basic indices.
• Basic indices are then rounded to 1 decimal place.
• Rates of change are derived from rounded basic indices.
• All published indices are rounded to 1 decimal place.
• All indices derived from basic indices are rounded to 1 decimal place.
• All published indices are rounded to 1 decimal place.
• Truncation is not used.

18.5.2. Aggregation of different data sources

HICP is derived from CPI; CPI is chained index with bi-annual chaining - see 18.5.3. Chaining, linking and splicing methods.

CPI index is Laspeyres index. Price indices for EAs are aggregated bottom-up.

Some parts of consumer basket are not covered by EAs, but by a more complex ready index (called 'specific sub-index'). These are cases with more complex price changes, which cannot be simply captured by a few EAs - typically tariff prices.

The use of specific sub-indices was newly introduced after the 2005 CPI revision. These apply to base indices of some groups on the ECOICOP5 level which are calculated outside the consumer basket. They belong to the group of centrally observed prices (sub-indices are compiled by the Consumer Prices Statistics Section of the CZSO Prague). This applies especially to the groups of goods and services with tariff prices (electricity, gas, railway transport, telecommunications, financial services) where there exists a wide range of frequently updated supply of products. For these items the method of selecting representatives applied for the consumer basket formation could result to certain index deterioration. To this end, the price development of these items is calculated independently either on the basis of entirely exhausted supply or from strongly prevailing supply of these products. Sub-indices are used in the formula for the overall consumer price index calculation and by their weight in the consumer basket (determined like for other items) they are aggregated to higher aggregates and the total. Besides the above groups the method of using of the sub-indices is applied for market rentals, imputed rentals (CPI only), prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and other pharmaceuticals, passenger transport by air and insurance.

Data are generally processed in ORACLE, some small, but complicated parts (e.g. indices for tariff prices) in Excel. All outputs, including intermediary, are in Excel. Excel is used for outputs, including publications. Excel is also used for intermediary outputs and for specific calculation of some sub-indices.

18.5.3. Chaining, linking and splicing methods

CPI calculation

Starting from 2024, the price base period was changed from December 2021 to December 2023. The calculated indices are chained at all levels of the consumer basket to the basic index (with index base 2015 = 100). Therefore, a multiplicative constant is used to transform the index with the base period December 2023 = 100 into an index with the base 2015 = 100. Thereby, a continuation of the existing long index time series 2015 = 100 is ensured.

CPI is a chained index with bi-annual chaining.

Then, the remaining indices are derived (previous month = 100, corresponding period of last year = 100 and annual rolling average, i.e. the average of index numbers over the last 12 months to the average for the previous 12 months).

HICP calculation

HICP is derived from CPI the following way:

• HICP link index (base December 2024 = 100) is not equal to the corresponding CPI index (base December 2023 = 100) for sub-class (ECOICOP5) (some exceptions exists).
• HICP link index (base December 2024 = 100) for higher aggregate of COICOP classification (class, group, division, total) is calculated as arithmetic weighted average of all subordinated indices on sub-class level (HICP link index with base December 2024 = 100).
• HICP is chained index with annual chaining.

HICP and CPI weights differ (mainly due to domestic vs. national concept and non-inclusion vs. inclusion of OOH)

18.5.4. Quality adjustments and replacements

1. Please list the main quality adjustment methods used by product

The quality adjustment methods that are usually applied by groups of products area:

•  Food, medicines, and personal care products:  direct comparison, and quantity adjustments (scanner data used for these product groups);
• Centrally collected products: expert judgement, overlap, option pricing.
• Clothing and footwear: direct comparison, overlap, bridged overlap, expert judgement.
• Furniture, household appliances and equipment: overlap, expert judgement.
• Restaurants: overlap.

2. Please describe the rules for product replacements

The criterion to select the replacement item is the most sold variety in the surveyed outlet, which has more similar characteristics as the one being replaced.

3. Under which conditions are replacements made (e.g., after certain number of months without a price observation)?

When an item (variety) is not available in the market for two months or it is no longer important in terms of consumption because of a new variety, it is replaced by the item that has taken its place in the market.

18.5.4.1. Quality adjustment - detailed information

Restricted from publication

18.5.4.2. Replacements - detailed information

Identification of missing/new products is done both on the level of price collectors and the central staff. Decision about necessity of their inclusion into survey is subjective, but must be approved centrally.

Price collectors receive written methodological instructions 'Instructions for survey, verification and presentation of data on consumer prices of goods and services included in the consumer basket' (about 30 pages including appendices) concerning namely: outlet selection, priced item selection (EA-list), treatment of price reduction, data recording, treatment of seasonal items, replacements, etc.) Amended every year. Prepared by central staff. Price collectors follow this 'manual'.

For replacements of product-offers, similar (successive, improved) product within the same outlet is preferred. Otherwise the same or similar product-offer is found in another outlet. Outlet should be of similar type, or should reflect changes in consumer behaviour.

Selected reporting network for price survey is constant, changes take place only in the following cases: Enlarging of the reporting network is possible if a new outlet emerges in the district where it is necessary to increase the sample. Reduction of the reporting network is possible only if a selected outlet ceased to exist and there is no suitable substitution. 

Depending on the degree of change happening at the level of product, the introduction of 'new product' into the index will either result into the creation of a new variety within an existing EA or the creation of quite a new EA at all.

Further information: see 18.5.4.1. Quality adjustment.

18.5.5. Administered prices

For a list of administered prices including their price setting mechanism see Annex (yet to be updated for ECOICOP5 level).

The classification of administered prices is updated on an annual basis.

 

Additional information

Fuel for transport. Prices are not regulated.

Electricity. Energy Regulatory Office sets charges for electricity transmission and distribution and related services and specifies conditions for access of end-users and energy suppliers to the grid. Commodity component of the index is not-administered.  

Gas and other fuels, heat energy. Energy Regulatory Office sets charges for gas transmission and distribution and related services. Commodity component of the index is not-administered.

Services related to the dwelling: 

•  Refuse collection, disposal of ash and solid waste - Charges are approved by local authorities
•  Sewerage collection - Charges are approved by local authorities
•  Water supply - Prices are approved by local authorities

Telecommunications: 

Information restricted from publication.

Postal services are nation-wide. As central prices they are surveyed in Price Journals issued by the Ministry of Finance of the CR and on web sites of the Czech Post by the department of consumer price statistics of the CZSO Prague.

Sub-index 'Passenger transport by railway' – prices of fares are collected centrally from the price lists of the Czech Railways. They are uniform throughout the territory of the CR and are regulated by the state. Basic fare actually means standard fare from which other reduced tariffs are derived by percentage rate (special tickets for children, tickets for pensioners, for the disabled; client’s fare, return tickets, tickets for groups, season tickets, pupil’s tickets, etc.). With respect to a wide scope of fare and tariff prices the price development in the transport by rail is measured by sub-index enabling to observe the price development of similar structure. Weights of individual items covered by sub-index were fixed on the basis of information supplied by the Czech Railways. The total of 3000 tariff prices is involved in the calculation. Since 2013 the price observation in trains of the company REGIOJET was included in the Sub-index 'Passenger transport by railway'.

Passenger urban transport by bus - public transport provided by buses and trolley-buses only. Prices are surveyed by the field survey employees in selected cities. Collected are prices of individual tickets, season tickets incl. reduced fare for pensioners, pupils and students.

Passenger intercity transport by bus - long-distance bus transport is in the CR operated by number of private companies. The field survey employees survey in selected companies the prices of tickets for different distances incl. prices of season tickets. In addition, prices of three companies on the route Prague - Brno are collected.

Combined passenger transport includes the city mass transport fare development (transport by road and rail) provided by buses, trolley-buses, trams or the underground. Prices are collected by the field survey employees in selected cities. Collected are prices of individual tickets, season tickets incl. cheap tickets for pensioners, pupils and students.

Passenger taxi includes transport of persons by taxi. Prices are collected by the field survey employees in selected cities. Surveyed are prices of precisely specified drives (type of car, distance, terrain). The price includes a single entry fee.

18.5.6. HICP at constant tax rates

Sources of tax data information

The source for the amount of taxes is NA statistics of taxes. It contains the full detail of the national classification of taxes and social contributions with corresponding amounts and ESA codes. The basis for the statistics of taxes is governmental financial statistics. The data are available every year.

Source of information for VAT rates and for excise duties is the Statute book concerning VAT and excise duties rates issued regularly by the Ministry of Finance the rules change.

HICP-CT inclusion criteria 

Reasons to include and exclude various tax groups are based namely on practical considerations. Namely, the production of HICP-CT was based on CPI/HICP computations, therefore the coverage in terms of Elementary Aggregates (EA) used have to be identical.

For that reason the VAT (D211), which concerns most of the items in the consumer basket, is generally included. The same concerns excise duties on petrol products, alcohol, beer, wine and tobacco products (D2122C, D214A). All these groups are sufficiently covered in CPI/HICP.  

The extent of the other taxes applicable for HICP-CT is practically negligible. It concerns namely fees on entry tickets, resorts and recreation fees on visitors and fees on recreational units. Expenditures on these groups are also not very well covered in CPI/HICP coverage. Due to their negligible impact on HICP-CT, they are excluded for practical reasons. 

Total of taxes included in HICP-CT is thus more than 99% of the total of all taxes relevant for HICP-CT and at the same time more than 90% of the whole D21. On the other hand, no explicit group having more than 2% of all taxes relevant for HICP-CT is excluded.

As a result of HICP-CT there are 4 distinctive groups of taxes:

• VAT,
• Excise duties on petroleum products,
• Excise duties on spirits, beer and wine,
• Excise duties on tobacco.

The algebra used for HICP-CT calculation

The algebra for the HICP-CT calculation follows the relevant methodical documents (HICP-CT Manual). The calculation starts at the level of Elementary Aggregates. For each year the calculation of HICP-CT requires that the rules for indirect tax are kept constant as they were in previous December. This requires that in addition to the monthly average prices for each item in the HICP/CPI sample it is necessary to calculate also the hypothetical monthly average prices for the same item as if the rules for indirect tax were not changed within the given year.

The treatment of changes of VAT rates is relatively easier than treatment of changes of excise duties mentioned above. Due to its characteristics that it is applied as the last modification of the price, its changes for a particular item or any COICOP level are reflected by the usage of a suitable multiplicative coefficient applied on the given price index since the month of tax change. For other tax changes suitable mathematical formulas were derived for practical calculation of HICP-CT based on existing HICP indices.

Practical implementation

HICP is calculated based on the final version of CPI. Price indices of HICP Elementary Aggregates are identical with price indices of CPI Elementary Aggregates. They are subsequently aggregated using the HICP current weights (different from CPI weights) and then chained.

HICP-CT sub-indices are then derived from the corresponding HICP sub-indices. They are aggregated using the HICP current weights

18.5.7. HICP flash estimate

No flash estimate is calculated.

18.5.8. Other quality and processing issues

See next points.

18.5.8.1. Missing prices

Normally, every month some 6% of price quotations are missing due to non-availability of the followed product-offer, which was available in previous month (about 1,500-2,000 price quotations from 32,000 surveyed by price collectors).

Of this 5% is a non-available variety in the same outlet and 1% is a case of non-availability of the outlet itself.

All such non-available prices are currently replaced month by month. Therefore, no carry forward is applied.

Seasonal goods (applied to footwear and clothing) use the all-seasonal estimations. Weights of seasonal goods are fixed throughout the year.

18.5.8.2. Sales and discounts

The Guidelines for the treatment of reduced prices in the HICP (translated into Czech also for price collectors) are fully observed for decisions. Price reductions are taken into account if they are non-negligible and not discriminatory. The decision is not on price collectors, but on central staff.

Sales prices and other (non-discriminatory) reduced prices are included in the index. The prices observed mostly reflect correctly the pattern of price reductions in dimensions of:

•  time (first 3 weeks in month),
• goods and services surveyed (COICOP) and
• space (regions x outlets).

However, a problematic area is the group of food and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), where consumers started to optimize their consumption according to actual price, buying much more than average in periods of price actions. This effect necessitated usage of scanner data (capturing of 'real prices'; in pilot).

The most common price reductions used in supermarkets are temporary price reductions ('action prices') and sales of clothing.

Discounts connected to loyalty cards are disregarded (but will be included, where scanner data are used as a source of information).

18.5.9. Specific product groups

See next points.

18.5.9.1. Seasonal items

For fruit and vegetables the prices are collected evenly from the 1st to 20th day of a month, always in 1/3 of selected districts in a week. The field survey employee collects 3 prices for these items. There are no EAs in the sample, for which the price would be unavailable. (Some strongly seasonal fruit and vegetables with very limited season are excluded from CPI/HICP basket - like cherries).

Fish is not considered seasonal. Very small weight.

Clothing, footwear are seasonal - see 18.5.9.2.

Package holiday sub-index as a whole is not considered to be seasonal (some EAs are basically available all the year-round; however some EAs are considered seasonal).

18.6. Adjustment

Please see the information under the next point.

18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment

No seasonal adjustment is made.

No comments.

The harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) is a consumer price index (CPI) that is calculated according to a harmonised approach. It measures the change over time of the prices of consumer goods and services acquired by households (inflation).

Due to the common methodology, the HICPs of the countries and European aggregates can be directly compared.

26 August 2025

The main statistical variables are price indices.

The basic unit of statistical observation are prices for consumer products.

Please see the information under the next points.

Please see the information under the next point.

HICP is a monthly statistics.

The accuracy of HICP is generally considered to be high. The accuracy of source data is monitored by assessing the methodological soundness of price and weight sources and the adherence to the methodological recommendations. There is a variety of data sources both for weights (National Account data, Household Budget Survey data, etc.) and prices (visits to local retailers and service providers and central collection via mail, telephone, e-mail and the internet are used). The type of survey and the price collection methods ensure sufficient coverage and timeliness. The outlets, from which prices are collected, are chosen to represent the existing trade and services network and they are based usually on three main criteria:

• Popularity with consumers,
• Significant turnover from consumer sales and
• Availability of goods and services included in the HICP basket.

All the private households in the economic territory of the country are covered, whether resident or not and irrespective of their income.

The following units are used:

• Index point
• Percentage change on the same period of the previous year (rates);
• Percentage change on the previous period (rates);
• Percentage share of the total (weights).

1. Please confirm that the HICP is a Laspeyres-type index.

The HICP is a Laspeyres-type index.

2. What elementary price index formulae are used?

For elementary aggregation, the Dutot price index (ratio of arithmetic means) is used.

3. Please specify the number of decimals that are applied for:

The following rules are used for the number of decimals: 

• Price observations: 2 decimals
• Weights (per thousand): 6 decimal
• Compilation and transmission of indices: >10 decimals
• Publication of indices: 1 decimal
• Rates of changes: compiled from the indices with 1 decimal.

4. Please specify the cases for which rounding or truncation of the number of decimals are used.

In all instances ‘round half away from zero’ is used for rounding.

Please see information under the next points.

Monthly.

The full set of HICPs is published each month according to a pre-announced schedule, usually between 15 and 18 days after the end of the reference month. Each year, the January news release is published at the end of February to allow for the annual update of the weights of individual product groups and the relative country weights of Members States in the country-group aggregates.

The euro area flash estimate is published on the last working day of the reference month or shortly after that.

HICPs across Member States aim to be comparable. Any differences at all levels of detail should only reflect differences in price changes or expenditure patterns.

To this end, concepts and methods have been harmonised by means of legislation. HICPs that deviate from these concepts and methods are deemed comparable if they result in an index that is estimated to differ systematically by less than or equal to 0.1 percentage points on average over one year against the previous year (Article 4 of Council and Parliament Regulation (EU) 2016/792).

HICP data are fully comparable over time. There have been several improvements in methodology since the HICP was introduced with the aim of improving reliability and comparability of the HICP. 

Information on the main re-referencing and revisions

HICP is derived from CPI, CPI is biannually chained index (minor updates of sample continuously, minor methodological amendments annually).

No revisions of published CPI or HICP indices ever occurred (since 1995). 

Overview of HICP re-referencing: 1996 = 100, 2005 = 100, 2015=100.

No statistical breaks or interruptions in the HICP series due to changes in the methods have occurred.