Statistics Norway made a presentation concerning its efforts to increase both the quantity and quality of price statistics – The Price Project. The project started late 1993 with the aim to improve existing price statistics and to develop new price statistics for the service sector. From 1994 to 1997 Statistics Norway reallocated annually approximately 1 per cent of its budget for this project. The Price Project was organised with a manager reporting to a Steering Group representing all departments in Statistics Norway producing price statistics. All projects were approved by the Steering Group and followed up by the manager. The budget was expanded with grants from Eurostat dedicated to develop new price statistics connected to the Short-Term Statistics Regulation.

The targets for the price project were obvious. For Statistics Norway it was important to fulfil international requirements stated especially in the Short-Term Statistics Regulation with regards to new price statistics for the service sector. The needs from the National Accounts were of course of high priority. The third general target was to develop national expertise in Statistics Norway in the field of price statistics outside the Division for price statistics.

From 2006 Statistics Norway has launched 9 new price statistics and a few more are in the pipeline. At the same time we have made improvements in the CPI with extensive use of barcode data and improved methods for insurance, imputed and actual rentals, passenger transport by air, telephone equipment and services, package holidays, electricity and cars.