Over the past 16 years, the aggregate price of manufactured items has barely changed, but the price of services and food have increased at a faster rate, notes the latest Research Bulletin from the Reserve Bank of Australia.

The report notes that the prices of services, food and beverages have tended to increase at an average annualised rate of about 3-4%. The report also finds that price increases of manufactured items have remained very low over the past decade and a half as a result of