Major appliances

What the latest data shows: input costs for major appliances rose 3.5% over the 3 months to September 2026; general prices rose 0.9% over the same time. The biggest item is steel.

On a $1,000 item, the same change in costs is about $35; the change in general prices is about $9.

Where the cost change comes from i

• Steel · rose 8.0% in 3 months, 30% of cost+2.8
• Factory wages · rose 1.8% in 3 months, 15% of cost+0.3
• Import prices · rose 0.8% in 3 months, 35% of cost+0.2
• Metal parts · rose 2.1% in 3 months, 5% of cost+0.1
• Cost change (points)3.5%

This is the maker's cost, not the shelf price, and it describes the past.

Cost index i

January 2019 = 100. A weighted average of official price series: materials, labour, and import prices or the exchange rate.