The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced its annual refresh of the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and CPIH basket of goods and services for 2026.
This “virtual shopping trolley”, comprising around 760 items, reflects what UK households actually spend money on, helping ensure inflation figures capture real-world trends rather than outdated habits.
In 2026, 27 items were added and 19 removed from the CPIH basket (with similar adjustments for CPI and RPI).
The changes highlight shifting consumer priorities amid health consciousness, technology adoption, and evolving leisure patterns.
What’s new in the basket – and what it says about us
Houmous joins the lineup for the first time, bolstering the vegetable category. The ONS cited rising popularity and around £170 million in consumer expenditure on the dip in 2024. It’s a sign that Brits are leaning into healthier, plant-based snacks, even as food prices remain a pressure point.
Alcohol-free beer is another standout addition, reflecting booming sales and greater supermarket shelf space for non-alcoholic options. This tracks a broader cultural move toward mindful drinking, with health and wellness influencing alcohol choices.
Dash cams (dashboard cameras) enter the basket too, driven by significant spending, about £150 million in 2023, and expected further growth. Consumers are investing in them for insurance benefits, accident evidence, and security, pointing to heightened road safety awareness and perhaps more cautious driving habits post-pandemic.
Other notable newcomers include:
- Pet grooming services (capturing high pet-care spending beyond just vet bills)
- Motorhomes (diversifying from caravans amid strong demand for staycation-style travel)
- Croissants (better representation of breakfast bakery items via scanner data)
- Baby food (reintroduced to diversify options in the category)
These additions paint a picture of a nation prioritising health, pets as family members, tech for everyday safety, and flexible leisure like road trips.
What’s out
On the flip side, some items were dropped or consolidated to keep the basket efficient and representative:
- Sheets of wrapping paper (replaced by rolls for easier pricing)
- Bottled premium lager in pubs/restaurants (rebalancing alcohol tracking)
- Separate categories for New World and European white wines (merged into one off-sales white wine item)
- Certain children’s clothing items (updated to sex-specific versions for better classification)
A window into spending habits
The ONS updates the basket yearly based on household surveys, market data, and emerging trends.
This year’s tweaks also incorporate expanded use of scanner data for groceries, improving accuracy on discounts and price variations.
While the basket itself doesn’t dictate inflation rates, those come from monthly price tracking, the items chosen reveal how Brits are adapting.
We’re snacking smarter, drinking less, tech-proofing our cars, pampering our pets, and perhaps hitting the road more in motorhomes.
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