PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF WEB SCRAPING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CALCULATION OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX IN UZBEKISTAN
Keywords:
consumer price index, web scraping, official statistics, online prices, Python, Stata, COICOP 2018, classifier, inflation, price observation.Abstract
This thesis examines the practical application of web scraping technology in the compilation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Uzbekistan. The expansion of the digital economy and the rapid growth of online retail have increased the need for official statistics to use alternative data sources. The paper outlines the stages of collecting online price data with Python-based tools, matching product identifiers to COICOP 2018 codes, building a dedicated classifier, integrating web-scraped data with other price observations, and calculating final indices in Stata. Drawing on both international experience and current practice in Uzbekistan, the study argues that web scraping is an effective instrument for complementing conventional price observation, improving timeliness, and expanding data coverage.
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References
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