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Timeline

A French price comparison: base year, index update and current estimate

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Order a French price index’s base year, initial release, revised observation and current estimate. Preserve each figure’s status in a short summary.

In short

A base year defines the index reference; a revision changes an earlier published value; an estimate remains provisional. Keep the observation period separate from the release date. The most recent release can revise an older month.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

An hourglass, three blank folded cards and a magnifying glass.
An estimate and a revised measurement have different statuses. Illustration: Atelier

An index sets 2020 equal to 100. A later release updates January and supplies an estimate for February. The timeline separates when prices were observed from when the numbers were issued, so a summary can state both date and status accurately.

Indice local · publications successives

  1. 2020
    L’année de référence est fixée à 100 pour le panier suivi.The reference year is set to 100 for the tracked basket.
  2. Janvier 2025
    Les prix du panier sont relevés pour l’observation de janvier.Basket prices are collected for the January observation.
  3. 10 février
    La première publication donne un indice de janvier de 110.The first release gives a January index of 110.
  4. 10 mars
    La publication révise janvier à 109 après correction d’un relevé.The release revises January to 109 after correcting a price record.
  5. 10 mars · même publication
    Une estimation provisoire de février est annoncée à 111.A provisional February estimate is announced at 111.

Interpret the reference value

An index of 109 means the tracked basket is 9% above the base-year level on this index’s definition. It does not mean a €109 price for every product. The revision changes January from 110 to 109; it does not move the base year. The February estimate of 111 is a different month with a different status.

La dernière publication révise l’indice de janvier à 109 et estime provisoirement celui de février à 111, sur une base 100 en 2020.

The latest release revises January’s index to 109 and provisionally estimates February’s at 111, with 2020 set to 100.

Question 1No account needed
What is the latest supplied January value?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

109. The March release revises January to 109, replacing its earlier value of 110.

Question 2No account needed
What is the status of February’s 111?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

A provisional estimate. The timeline explicitly labels 111 as a provisional estimate for February.

Question 3No account needed
Does a March release necessarily measure March prices?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

No. This March release revises January and estimates February; its publication date is not the observation month.

When sources quote different January values, check their release dates before declaring a contradiction. One may cite the original figure and another the revision. A faithful comparison states which version is being used. If a later estimate has not yet been revised or consolidated, preserve provisoire instead of presenting it as final.

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