Non-dairy milk, such as soya, rice and oat milk, are being added to the ONS’s inflation basket for the first time, reflecting the increase in the popularity of dairy-free diets and the rise of campaigns such as “Veganuary”. In addition, gin is returning to the basket after a 13-year absence, with gin consumption on the rise, partly thanks to the significant growth in the number of small gin producers.

Also making a return to the basket are Bicycle helmets after a 12-year absence, following the significant increase in the popularity of cycling due to sporting successes by British cyclists in the Olympics and the Tour De France. Children’s scooters, which have proven highly popular in recent years, are also being added, replacing children’s swings in the basket.

Basic mobile phone handsets are now being removed from the basket with their decline in popularity.  This is following the rise of smartphones, which has been making it difficult to collect consistent prices for them.

In addition, council tax is being added to CPIH, which includes owner-occupier housing costs and is the most comprehensive measure of consumer inflation. As well as updating the goods and services that are included, ONS also updates the importance each item has within the basket to ensure the overall inflation rate reflects actual households’ spending habits as closely as possible.

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