Retail Price Index (FOI)

Request 688679016

​Dear FOI Officer,

I would like to request information under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 regarding the Retail Prices Index (RPI) and inflation trends in Jersey compared to the UK over the last five years. My request is as follows:

1. RPI vs UK Inflation Trends and Percentage Uplift:

• Can you confirm the RPI figures for Jersey for each year over the last five years and provide the nearest comparable inflation index for the UK?

• Has the trend been for inflation in Jersey to run at higher rates than in the UK?

• What is the percentage uplift (not difference) between Jersey’s RPI and the UK’s equivalent index? Specifically, is Jersey’s RPI running consistently higher than the UK’s, and if so, by how much (e.g., is it running 10%, 20%, or more above the UK rate on average)?

• Please provide any reports or data that explain the reasons for this percentage difference.

2. Inflationary Drivers in the RPI Basket:

• I understand that inflation levels are driven by the basket of goods used in the RPI calculation. For the elements of this basket that have increased at higher rates than in the UK, what are the reasons for these differences? Are there specific cost factors unique to Jersey that contribute to this higher inflationary impact?

3. Labour Inflation Comparison:

• What has been the rate of labour cost inflation in Jersey over the last five years, and how does this compare to the equivalent figures in the UK?

• What is the percentage uplift (not difference) between wage growth in Jersey and the UK, and how does this align with general inflation trends? What are the main drivers for this difference versus the UK.

• Is there sector-specific data available to show how wages have increased across different industries vs UK?

I would appreciate it if the response could include relevant reports, data tables, or any official analyses available.

Thank you.

Response

Question 1.

The requested information is publicly available therefore Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. Statistics Jersey publish an RPI report each quarter that is available here: 

Retail prices index (inflation)

The latest report includes a comparison to the UK CPIH on page 8.

Question 2.

The requested information is publicly available therefore Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. The latest RPI report includes a breakdown of the different RPI group level indices on page 10. The data is also available as open data here: 

Inflation (RPI, RPIX, RPI pensioners, RPI low income) - RPI group indices from March 2000 onwards - Government of Jersey Open Data

Additional information on the Jersey RPI basket of goods and services is available in the following report: 

Updating the RPI basket

Question 3.

The requested information is publicly available therefore Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. Statistics Jersey publish the index of average earnings each year. The latest report is available here: 

Average Earnings Index June 2024.pdf

Page 9 of the report includes a comparison to the UK, although it should be noted that the earnings measures between the two jurisdictions are not strictly comparable due to different methodologies. 

Page 12 of the report includes a breakdown by different industry sectors. This is also available as open data here: 

Average Earnings Index - Annual percentage change in average earnings by sector - Government of Jersey Open Data

All questions

The requestor has also requested several specific analyses, including comparisons to UK data or details on inflationary / wage drivers. This information is not held in a recorded form; therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. A Scheduled Public Authority (‘SPA’) is not obligated to collate or develop new sets of information in response to an FOI request.

There is additional information available on the Statistics and performance website that may be of interest to the requestor:

Statistics and performance

In addition, the requestor may wish to contact Statistics Jersey at statistics@gov.je​ who may be able to provide advice on availability and interpretation of statistics on these topics.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.​