AVERAGE PERCENTAGE INCREASE, AS COMPARED WITH JULY, 1914, IN RETAIL PRICES, &c., IN THE UNITED KINGDOM*, 1915-25. (Mainly extracted from the "Ministry of Labour Gazette.")

WITH JULY, 1914, IN RETAIL PRICES, etc., IN THE 1915-25-continued.

As from January, 1923, the figures relate to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

† No detailed statistics were compiled for "Other Items" in 1915-1916, and the figures given for dates in those years are estimates (to the nearest 5 points).

In the computation of the index numbers for "All Items," the index numbers for the several groups are combined: n the following proportions: food, 7; rent, 2; clothing, 1; fuel and light, 1; other items,. For full particulars of the method of compilation of the statistics, and of the individual items included, reference should be made to the Ministry of Labour Gazette for

AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF CERTAIN ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED KINGDOM*, 1914–25.

(Compiled from Returns collected by the Ministry of Labour from over 5,000 Retailers in over 500 Towns.)

Margarine

07 1

Eggs, Fresh each 0 11 0

2 1 0 1 1 0 10 0 7 0 610 610 71

610 410 410 310 Potatoes per71b. 0 4 0 11 0 9 1 11 0 101 0

210

210 210 21

8

0 60 100 9

The figures for 1923 to 1925 relate to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (The omission of the returns from the Irish Free State area would not alter the averages stated for July, 1914, except that it raises by td. the figures for British Ribs and Legs and for Salt Butter, and lowers by id. the figure for Tea.)

ti.e., the highest average price recorded at the beginning of any month during the period from the outbreak of the war up to 1st December, 1918. The date of such highest price was usually in October to December, 1918, and in no case earlier than June, 1917.

If this kind is seldom dealt with in a locality, the Returns quote the price of another kind locally representative.

§ The description of cheese specified for quotation is Canadian (or American), but where such cheese is seldom sold in a locality, the Returns quote the price of another kind locally representative.

RETAIL PRICES OF BREAD IN LONDON, 1800-1925.

(The figures for years up to 1911 are extracted from Parliamentary Paper 339 of 1912, in which the sources of the figures are shown*; those for later years have been compiled from returns collected by the Ministry of Labour.)

The Parliamentary Paper states: "It is not known how far the figures obtained from the various statistical sources are strictly comparable, but they