Index Numbers & Rates of Change (Edexcel GCSE Statistics: Higher)

Exam Questions

1 hour13 questions
1a
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2 marks

The table shows the index number for the cost of coffee, tea, and cocoa, using 2015 as base year (index = 100).

Year

Index number

August 2016

101.361

August 2018

106.608

August 2020

100.607

The price of 100 grams of instant coffee in 2015 was £2.72.

Use the data in the table to estimate the cost of 100 grams of instant coffee in 2018.

1b
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3 marks

A student does the following calculation to reach a conclusion about the cost of coffee, tea, and cocoa.

Year

Index number

August 2016

101.361

August 2018

106.608

August 2020

100.607

106.608 - 101.361 = 5.247

The cost of all coffee, tea, and cocoa increased by 5.247% between August 2016 and August 2018

Is the student correct?

Give two reasons for your answer.

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2
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4 marks

The incomplete table gives some information about the number of births in Pakistan, the total population of Pakistan and the crude birth rate for Pakistan in 2009 and 2019

Year

Total Population

Crude birth rate

Number of births

2009

190 123 222

32.2

......

2019

223 293 280

......

6 319 200

Using the formula below, find the two missing values in the table.

crude space birth space rate space equals fraction numerator number space of space births space cross times space 1000 space over denominator total space population end fraction

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3
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4 marks

One of the categories of product that the consumer price index (CPI) tracks is milk, cheese, and eggs.

The table below shows the CPI figures for five months in 2023.

Month

CPI

Chain base index

Jan 2023

137.400

-

Feb 2023

140.668

......

Mar 2023

140.632

......

Apr 2023

142.643

......

May 2023

143.306

......

Calculate the four chain base index figures to for February to May 2023 and write them in the table.

Write your answers to 2 decimal places.

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4a
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3 marks

A school books tickets for the same school trip every year and notices that the price has increased year-on-year.

The table below shows the prices for adults and students for 2022 and 2023, and how many tickets were ordered each year.

Price (2022)

Number ordered (2022)

Price (2023)

Number ordered (2023)

Student

£14.80

29

£16.70

26

Adult

£18.30

4

£21.10

3

Using the information in the table, work out the weighted mean price for the school trip in 2023, and for 2022.

Give your answers correct to 2 decimal places.

4b
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2 marks

Using your answers to part (a), work out the weighted index number for the school trip in 2023, taking 2022 as the base year.

Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

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5
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4 marks

In 2023, the town of Sandton had a population of 50,000.
The breakdown of the population by age groups, along with the number of deaths in each group during the year, and the death rate for each group, is provided below. There is 1 value missing.

Age group

Population

Number of deaths

Death rate

0-19

12 000

12

1

20-35

13 000

26

2

36-65

15 000

75

5

Over 65

10 000

200

The standard population of the country that Sandton is in is provided below, there is 1 value missing.

Age group

Standard Population

0-19

250

20-35

300

36-65

Over 65

100

By calculating the standardised death rate for each age group, calculate the overall standardised death rate for Sandton in 2023.

You may use the formula:

standardised space death space rate equals fraction numerator crude space rate over denominator 1000 end fraction cross times standard space population

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1a
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2 marks

The table gives the chain base index numbers for the average monthly rent for apartments in a city in January for each of the years 2016 to 2019.

Year

Chain base index numbers

January 2015

-

January 2016

105.50

January 2017

110.20

January 2018

108.30

January 2019

102.90

Describe what the chain base index numbers show about the average monthly rent for apartments in January for the years 2016 to 2019.

1b
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2 marks

In January 2017, the average monthly rent for apartments in the city was £1 200.

Calculate the average monthly rent for apartments in January 2016.
Give your answer correct to the nearest £.

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2a
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2 marks

Sarah is analysing the average price per kilogram of fresh fruits sold in a local market over five consecutive years during the spring season.

The table gives the average price per kilogram, in pounds (£), for fresh fruits over the years. It also provides two of the chain base index numbers, correct to one decimal place, for this information.

Year

Average price per kg (£)

Chain base index number

2015

3.00

-

2016

2.85

95.0

2017

2.70

94.7

2018

2.60

......

2019

2.50

......

Find the chain base index numbers for 2018 and 2019 and write them in the table.
Give each value correct to one decimal place.

2b
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4 marks

(i) Find the geometric mean of the four chain base index numbers.

You must show your working.

Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

[2]

(ii) Interpret your answer.

[2]

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3a
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2 marks

The table below gives the price index number for the average cost of household electricity in a particular country for each of six years, with 2015 as the base year.

The table also provides some of the chain base index numbers for the same information.

Year

Price index number

Chain base index number

2015

100

-

2016

102.5

102.50

2017

105.4

102.83

2018

107.2

101.71

2019

109.5

102.15

2020

112.0

......

Find, correct to 2 decimal places, the chain base index number for 2020.

3b
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2 marks

A student studying the data wanted to find the percentage increase in the cost of household electricity between 2018 and 2019.

Here is the student's working:

109.5 - 107.2 = 2.3

Therefore the average cost of household electricity increased by 2.3% between 2018 and 2019

Explain whether or not the student is correct.

3c
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2 marks

The geometric mean of the chain base index numbers for 2016 to 2019 is 102.30.

Interpret this geometric mean in the context of the average cost of household electricity.

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4a
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2 marks

Using July 2015 as the base month, the table shows some of the index numbers for the consumer price index (CPI) from July 2015 to July 2023.

Month

Consumer price index (CPI)

July 2015

100

July 2017

103.2

July 2019

107.9

July 2021

111.3

July 2023

130.9

July 2024

133.8

Source: www.ons.gov.uk

Give an interpretation of the index number 107.9 in the table.

4b
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2 marks

The CPI is a weighted index. It measures the changes in the prices of consumer goods and services. All items are classed as either goods or services.

The table below shows the weightings used for CPI in 2024.

Goods

Services

509.9

490.1

Source: www.ons.gov.uk

In July 2024, the index for services was 137.8

Using this information and the table in part (a), calculate the index number for goods in July 2024.

Give your answer to the nearest whole number.

4c
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2 marks

One of the items included in the services index is the price of hairdressers.

Assess whether or not it is appropriate to use 137.8 in order to find an estimate of the change in the price of hairdressers from July 2015 to July 2024.

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5a
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2 marks

The table gives the populations, in thousands, and the crude birth rates for two regions of a particular country in 2024.

The table also gives the total population, in thousands, of the same country in 2024.

Region

Population (thousands)

Crude birth rate

A

850.4

10.4

B

506.5

9.2

Country

78 069.3

......

In 2024 the number of births in the country was 792 814.

crude space birth space rate space equals fraction numerator number space of space births space cross times space 1000 space over denominator total space population end fraction

Using the formula above, work out the crude birth rate for the country in 2024.

Give your answer correct to one decimal place and write your answer in the table.

5b
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2 marks

Work out the number of births in region A in 2024.

5c
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2 marks

Terry says that without doing any calculations he knows there were fewer births in region B than in region A in 2024.

Using the information in the table, explain why Terry is correct.

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1
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5 marks

Changes in the cost of living in the United Kingdom are measured by the consumer price index (CPI).

The table shows the index numbers for August 2023, using 2015 as the base year, of the food items that contribute to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for food.

The table also shows the weightings for how the spending by the Smith family is divided between these items.

Item

Index number

Smith family weighting

Bread and cereals

136.6

15

Meat

126.6

20

Fish

135.5

10

Milk, cheese and eggs

143.7

12

Oils and fats

167.8

5

Fruit

127.1

8

Vegetables

131.0

15

Sugar, jam, syrups, chocolate

128.9

7

Other food products

150.7

8

Source: Office for National Statistics

Using 2015 as the base year, the overall CPI figure for food for August 2023 was 133.7.

Compare the overall change in the cost of food for the Smith family between 2015 and August 2023 with the change in the CPI for food between 2015 and August 2023.

Explain whether or not it is possible to conclude from your calculations that the Smith family is financially better off or worse off in August 2023 as compared with 2015.

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2a
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1 mark

The table shows the value of the gross domestic product (£ million) of the UK for each quarter from 2021 quarter 4 to 2024 quarter 2.

Year and quarter

Gross domestic product (£ million)

2021 Q4

597 082

2022 Q1

610 346

2022 Q2

625 467

2022 Q3

636 553

2022 Q4

654 062

2023 Q1

667 939

2023 Q2

680 492

2023 Q3

685 669

2023 Q4

685 929

2024 Q1

695 527

2024 Q2

702 893

Source: Office for National Statistics, GDP Data Tables

According to the table, between which two consecutive quarters was there the lowest increase in GDP?

2b
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2 marks

Using 2021 Quarter 4 as the base, work out the simple index number for the gross domestic product of the UK in 2024 Quarter 1.

Give your answer correct to the nearest whole number.

2c
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2 marks

The gross domestic product simple index number for 2024 Q3 is 118.71 when 2021 Q4 is used as the base.

Calculate the value of the gross domestic product, in millions of pounds, of the UK in 2024 Q3 to the nearest whole number.

2d
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2 marks

If 2021 Q4 is used as the base, describe what is happening to GDP, relative to 2021 Q4, for a year with the following GDP simple index numbers.

Quarter

GDP simple index number

Q1

97.2

Q2

98.3

Q3

98.9

Q4

99.5

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3a
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1 mark

The table gives the crude birth rates and crude death rates, per 1000 people, for two South American countries in the year 2022.

Country

Crude birth rate

Crude death rate

Paraguay

20.328

7.437

Uruguay

10.419

9.879

Source: www.data.worldbank.org

Anna concludes that the crude birth rate and the crude death rate for Uruguay shows that the population of Uruguay increased in 2022.

Explain how the data can be used to support Anna's conclusion.

3b
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1 mark

Give a reason why the data might not support Anna's conclusion.

3c
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2 marks

In 2022 the total population of Paraguay was 6 780 744.

Using the formula below, work out the number of births in Paraguay in 2022.

crude space birth space rate space equals fraction numerator number space of space births space cross times space 1000 space over denominator total space population end fraction

3d
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1 mark

The standard population of Paraguay and of Uruguay for three different age groups in 2022 is shown in the table.

Age group

Paraguay

Uruguay

0-14

289

191

15-64

649

653

65+

62

156

Source: www.data.worldbank.org

Give an interpretation of the number 289 in the table.

3e
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2 marks

Compare the crude death rate for Paraguay with the crude death rate for Uruguay.

By referring to the information in the Standard population table, suggest a reason for your comparison.

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