Variance Estimates for Price Changes in the Consumer Price Index for Kurdistan Region of Iraq (January-December, 2009)

Abstract

In sample surveys, variance estimate is one of the most commonly used measures for analysing error. This study is the first to introduce variance estimates for price changes of commodities from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Kurdistan Region (KR) of Iraq. The CPI, which is considered as an indicator for general level of prices, is the most significant economic indicator that enters into decisions about monetary policy settings for any country. The accuracy and reliability of this indicator (CPI) over time relies on the accurate measurements of price changes. Meantime, the study provides the first release of CPI for urban consumers of Kurdistan Region of Iraq and then computes the price changes of commodities for 1-month, 2-month, 6-month, and 12-month intervals and the corresponding standard error estimates using the monthly data, which is provided by Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO), for the period January to December 2009.