VR headphones and yoga carpet added to the articles cart used to track inflation in the UK

The headphones drawn by pork, virtual reality (VR) and yoga rugs have been added to a list of articles used by the official statisticians of the United Kingdom to measure how quickly prices increase throughout the country.

But he will no longer follow the price of newspaper and cafe tables in the store, against the background of the demand.

The Office for National Statistics has a so-called “basket” of over 750 goods and services, which represents the things that consumers usually spend their money.

It uses this to measure the inflation rate, which means how quickly prices increase, for households in the UK.

The basket is updated every year, when some articles are eliminated, and others are added to get a more accurate image of the nation’s expense habits.

Changes are only a small percentage of all sampled elements.

For 2025, ONS said he added articles, including a yoga mat from a boom in the home training and increasing popularity of group exercises.

Men’s slides were introduced to reflect a rapid growth part of the male shoe market.

Stephen Burgess, the Deputy Director of the ONS for prices, said: “The addition of virtual reality headphones shows for the first time our appetite for emerging technology, while the loss of printed newspapers demonstrates a continuous change to the online world.

“The desire for comfort in the middle of our busy lifestyle also plays a role in this year’s basket changes.

“Consumers choose lighter options in the kitchen, so that the gammon joints are ready for the oven make room for the faster choice of pork.”

Other additions to the basket include ready -to -use noodles, smoked salmon and mango fruits.

While Ons said he was eliminating the cafe in the store, such as in large stores, because his prevalence has decreased with many stores.