Well, wonder no more as the results of the Bank of England's latest quarterly survey of public attitudes to inflation, undertaken in May 2011, have been released.
Highlights from the survey
Question 1: Asked to give the current rate of inflation, respondents gave a median answer of 4.5%, compared with 4.4% in February.
Question 2a: Median expectations of the rate of inflation over the coming year were 3.9%, compared with 4.0% in February.
Question 2b: Asked about expected inflation in the twelve months after that, respondents gave a median answer of 3.2%, compared with 3.4% in February.
Question 2c: Asked about expectations of inflation in the longer term, say in five years time, respondents gave a median answer of 3.3%, compared with 3.5% in February.
Question 3: By a margin of 67% to 7%, survey respondents believed that the economy would end up weaker rather than stronger if prices started to rise faster, compared with 67% to 6% in February.
Question 4: 47% of respondents thought the inflation target was ‘about right', compared with 49% in February, while the proportions saying the target was ‘too high' or ‘too low' were 21% and 18% respectively.
Question 5: 17% of respondents thought that interest rates had fallen over the past 12 months, compared with 19% in February, while 28% of respondents said that interest rates had risen over the past 12 months, compared with 30% in February.
Question 6: When asked about the future path of interest rates, 55% of respondents expected rates to rise over the next 12 months, compared with 62% in February. 5% of respondents expected interest rates to fall over the next 12 months, the same proportion as in February.
Question 7: Asked what would be ‘best for the economy' - higher interest rates, lower rates or no change - 22% thought rates should ‘go up', compared with 25% in February. 19% of respondents thought that interest rates should ‘go down', compared with 18% in February. 36% thought interest rates should ‘stay where they are', compared with 34% in February.
Question 8: When asked what would be ‘best for you personally', 23% of respondents said interest rates should ‘go up', compared with 25% in February. 29% of respondents said it would be better for them if interest rates were to ‘go down', compared with 28% in February.
Question 14: Respondents were asked to assess the way the Bank of England is ‘doing its job to set interest rates to control inflation'. The net satisfaction balance - the proportion satisfied minus the proportion dissatisfied - was +22%, compared with +17% in February.
