The Consumer price index manual: concepts and methods contains comprehensive information and explanations on compiling a consumer price index (CPI). The Manual provides an overview of the methods and practices national statistical offices (NSOs) should consider when making decisions on how to deal with the various.prob-lems in the compilation of a CPI. The chapters cover many topics. They elaborate on the different practices currently in use, propose alternatives whenever possible, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. Given the comprehensive nature of this Manual, it will satisfy the needs of many users. The primary purpose of the Manual is to assist countries in producing CPIs that reflect internationally recommended methods and practices. It draws upon a wide range of experience and expertise to describe pfactical and suitable methods to guide countries in their efforts to improve the quality and international comparability of their CPIs and to meet user needs. The Manual is intended for statistical offices (or other compiling agencies) as a reference to compile the CPI and for training purposes. CPI users, such as employers, workers, policymakers, and researchers, are also targeted. The Manual will not only inform them about the different methods that are employed in collecting data and compiling such indices but will also provide them with information on the limitations of CPIs, so that the results may be interpreted correctly.