Toilet paper price rise claims incorrect

11 April 2007

Recent media reports of a 103% price rise in toilet tissue are incorrect and are based on a misreading of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data by Family First researchers in Senator Steve Fielding’s office.

In 2004, the ABS quoted on a 4 roll pack of toilet tissue, but in 2006 it used an 8 roll pack in its statistics. The apparent price rise between 2004 and 2006 is caused by this doubling of rollcount. (See item 61 in the following ABS datasheets: December 2004 statistics [Excel, 30.5 kB, ABS Web site] & December 2006 statistics [Excel, 25.5 kB, ABS Web site].)

In reality, price per roll of toilet tissue has changed by 6% or less than 3% pa, which is less than the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) change of 3.3% (December ‘05 to December ‘06).

The statistics were published in the ABS publication Average Retail Prices of Selected Items: Eight Capital Cities, which shows average prices for selected household goods included in the CPI.