Sobering times: alcohol-free beer added to UK inflation basket

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Phillip InmanMarch 16, 2026 at 02:57 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) is updating its basket of goods and services used to calculate inflation, reflecting changing consumer habits. Alcohol-free beer, hummus, dashboard cameras, motorhomes, and pet grooming services are being added to the list of 760 items. These additions reflect increased sales and popularity driven by health trends, security concerns, and lifestyle changes. To make room, bottled premium lager bought in pubs and restaurants, and sheets of wrapping paper are being removed. The updated basket will inform the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), Retail Prices Index (RPI), and CPI including housing costs (CPIH) to measure the impact of rising prices on the cost of living. The next inflation figures, covering the year to [date], will reflect these changes.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Robert Billington 30% Dmitrii Dikushin 30% AJ Bell 50% Retail Prices Index 60% Danni Hewson 60% Consumer Prices Index Including Housing Costs 70% Consumer Prices Index 70% Office for National Statistics ×580% United Kingdom 90%

Keywords

inflation 100% alcohol-free beer 90% consumer prices index 80% basket of goods 80% pet grooming 60% hummus 60% office for national statistics 50% health-conscious consumers 50% consumer spending 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United Kingdom

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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inflation alcohol-free beer consumer prices index basket of goods pet grooming hummus office for national statistics health-conscious consumers consumer spending

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