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Beliyat_Baron t1_ixcsmii wrote

Reply to comment by adebar in [OC] USD Inflation Delta Since 1990 by FuckMyHeart

You're not getting it, let's try a different avenue.

A percent change, by definition, requires two data points: a before and an after. A Ruble and a Yen may undergo the same inflation rate (percent change) but still retain vastly different values (relative to each other).

Do you acknowledge that an inflation rate as a percentage is meaningless without access to the raw values? That's what OP is trying to do: construct, in some way, the raw values.

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adebar t1_ixcukox wrote

I'm getting it more than you realise. The index values (that's the technical term) are in fact totally arbitrary. All the information is in the relative changes. Once you have those, you can arbitrarily rebase. In fact the indices are regularly rebased (current one has 1982-84 = 100). There are series with other bases which are still published by the BLS because other bases are referenced in contracts.

Every announcement of CPI quotes the changes in percentage points. Take the BLS word for it, not mine: "Calculating Index Changes: Movements of the indexes from 1 month to another are usually expressed as percent changes rather than changes in index points, because index point changes are affected by the level of the index in relation to its base period, while percent changes are not."

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Beliyat_Baron t1_ixcvuwk wrote

Here was my question. Nowhere in your comment do I see a direct (or indirect) answer to this

>Do you acknowledge that an inflation rate as a percentage is meaningless without access to the raw values?

I'm going to assume your answer is "no". If a Ruble and a Yen undergo the same inflation, how do you explain them having different values? Or do you think two currencies that undergo the same inflation rate have the same values?

It's funny you quoted the BLS, because if you pay closer attention to it, you'll see it's saying the same thing I am to you.

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adebar t1_ixcwi6e wrote

How often does the BLS quote changes in inflation in percent and how often in index points in that article?

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