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Index Numbers – Numerical Problems 🧮

Practice calculating Laspeyres, Paasche, and Fisher's Index Numbers with these examples.


Problem 1: Weighted Index Numbers

Given:

CommodityBase Price (p0)Base Qty (q0)Current Price (p1)Current Qty (q1)
A2846
B51065
C414510
D219213

Calculate: Laspeyres, Paasche, and Fisher's Ideal Index.

Solution: Weighted Index Calculation 💡

Step 1: Create Table

Itemp0q0p1q1p1q0p0q0p1q1p0q1
A284632162412
B5106560503025
C41451070565040
D21921338382626
Sum200160130103

Step 2: Apply Formulas

1. Laspeyres (L):

L = (200 / 160) * 100 = 125

2. Paasche (P):

P = (130 / 103) * 100 = 126.21

3. Fisher (F):

F = √(125 * 126.21) = 125.60

Problem 2: Real Wages (Deflation)

Given:

YearMonthly WagesIndex Number
19705000100
19716000150
19728000200

Calculate: Real Wages for each year.

Solution: Real Wages Calculation 💡

Real Wages = (Money Wages / Index Number) * 100
  • 1970: (5000 / 100) * 100 = 5000
  • 1971: (6000 / 150) * 100 = 4000
  • 1972: (8000 / 200) * 100 = 4000

Conclusion: Although wages increased, purchasing power actually decreased after 1970.


Problem 3: Splicing

Given:

  • Old Series (Base 2000): 2010 Index = 250
  • New Series (Base 2010): 2010 Index = 100, 2011 Index = 110.

Task: Find the specific index for 2011 with Base 2000.

Solution: Splicing Index Series 💡

Spliced Index = (New Index[2011] * Old Index of Common Year[2010]) / 100
Spliced Index = (110 * 250) / 100 = 275

Answer: The index for 2011 is 275.

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