UK CPIH basket weight: communication
UK CPIH basket weight: communication stood at 19.25 parts per 1000 in 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Consumer price index weights table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1988 to 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Consumer price index weights table
| Indicator | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPIH basket, all items | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | |
| CPIH weight by division | |||||||||||
| Communication | 19.25 | 19.57 | 18.64 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
Understanding UK CPIH basket weight: communication
Postal services, telephone equipment, network access fees, and internet transmission charges consumed by households throughout the United Kingdom constitute the precise coverage of this series. The index parameter isolates communication outlays from broader entertainment and technology expenditures captured in sibling categories, providing a dedicated measure for connectivity spending. This ensures that traditional mail services, mobile contracts, and fixed broadband subscriptions are evaluated as a distinct component of household living costs.
Interpreting this weight requires acknowledging rapid technological shifts and falling unit costs for digital services, which can cause significant changes in expenditure shares over time. Analysts studying long-term trends should examine how package deals combining telephony and internet access are disaggregated during annual basket reweighting exercises. Comparing these figures against historical data requires caution due to frequent reclassifications prompted by the emergence of new communication products and the phase-out of legacy services.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this communication weight cover television licence fees?
- No, broadcasting licence fees and media subscriptions are classified under the recreation and culture division rather than communication.
- Are business telephone expenses captured in this household metric?
- Only the portion of communication spending attributed to private residential households within the United Kingdom is included.
- How do bundled broadband and mobile packages affect this series?
- Statistical authorities apportion spending from bundled utility and communication contracts into their respective individual classification categories.