In April, the consumer price index (CPI) went up by 2.4 percent year-on-year. The prices grew by 2.4 percent both in cities and in rural areas. The food prices went up by 4.0 percent, while the non-food prices increased by 1.6 percent. The prices of consumer goods went up by 2.2 percent and the prices of services grew by 2.9 percent. On average from January to April, the overall consumer prices were up by 2.4 percent over the same period of the previous year.
In April, the month-on-month change of consumer prices was up by 0.2 percent, of which, prices increased 0.3 percent in cities and 0.1 percent in rural areas. The food prices went up by 0.4 percent, the non-food prices went up by 0.2 percent. The prices of consumer goods increased 0.2 percent, and the prices of services increased 0.3 percent.
I. Year-on-Year Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In April, food prices went up by 4.0 percent year-on-year, affecting nearly 1.33 percentage points increase in the overall price level. Of which, the prices of fresh vegetables went up by 5.9 percent, affecting nearly 0.20 percentage point increase in the overall price level; grain, up by 5.2 percent, affecting nearly 0.15 percentage point increase in the overall price level; meat, poultry and related products went up by 1.5 percent, affecting nearly 0.11 percentage point increase in the overall price level (price of pork was down by 6.5 percent, affecting nearly 0.21 percentage point decrease in the overall price level); fresh fruits, up by 5.3 percent, affecting nearly 0.11 percentage point increase in the overall price level; grease, increased 3.8 percent, affecting nearly 0.05 percentage point increase in the overall price level; aquatic products, up by 2.0 percent, affecting nearly 0.05 percentage point increase in the overall price level.
Prices for tobacco and liquor went up by 0.8 percent year-on-year, of which, that of liquor was up by 1.2 percent and tobacco was up by 0.5 percent.
Prices for clothing rose by 2.5 percent year-on-year. The prices for clothes went up by 2.7 percent while the prices for shoes increased 1.8 percent.
Prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services went up by 1.6 percent year-on-year, of which, prices for household services and processing, maintenance services, up by 9.5 percent, and durable consumer goods up by 0.1 percent.
Prices for health care and personal articles grew by 1.5 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for traditional Chinese herbal medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines, up by 2.8 percent, health care services, up by 1.6 percent, medical apparatus and supplies increased 0.7 percent, and western medicine kept at the same level (the amount of change was 0).
Prices for transportation and communication went down by 1.1 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for communication facilities, down by 9.4 percent, transportation facilities dropped by 5.8 percent, fuels and parts for vehicles, down by 1.1 percent, vehicles use and maintenance, up by 5.0 percent.
Prices for recreation, education, culture articles and services grew by 1.7 percent year-on-year. Of which, education service, up by 2.9 percent, recreation and culture, up by 2.6 percent, touring and outing, up by 2.1 percent, durable consumer goods for recreational and cultural use and services, down by 3.9 percent.
Prices for residence went up by 2.9 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for house renting, up by 4.1 percent, water, electricity and fuel, up by 1.6 percent, building and building decoration materials rose by 1.0 percent.
According to estimation, in the 2.4 percent growth in April, the carryover effect of last year’s prices rising accounted for 1.0 percentage points, while new prices rising factors in this year accounted for 1.4 percentage points.
II. Month-on-Month Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In April, food prices increased 0.4 percent month-on-month, contributing 0.13 percentage point to the month-on-month increase of consumer prices. In April prices for fresh vegetables and aquatic products increased 11.2 and 1.2 percent respectively, affecting nearly 0.36 and 0.03 percentage point increase in the overall price level respectively. Price of meat, poultry and related products was down by 3.6 percent, affecting nearly 0.27 percentage points decrease in the overall price level (Price of pork was down by 6.1 percent, affecting nearly 0.19 percentage point decrease in the overall price level).
Non-food prices increased 0.2 percent in April, month-on-month, affecting nearly 0.10 percentage point increase in the overall price level. Of which, the month-on-month prices for clothing, recreation, education, culture articles and services, residence, household facilities, articles and maintenance services went up by 0.7, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.1 percent respectively, that of transportation and communication went down by 0.4 percent, that of tobacco and liquor, health care and personal articles kept at the same level (the amount of change was 0). In view of water, electricity and fuel, the month-on-month prices for liquefied petroleum gas went down by 1.1 percent.
Annotations:
1. Explanatory Notes
Consumer Price Index (CPI) is an index measuring changes over time in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by residents, which comprehensively reflects the changes of price level.
2. Statistical Coverage
Consumer Price Index (CPI) covers the prices of goods and services of eight categories and 262 basic divisions which cover the living consumption of urban and rural residents, including food; tobacco, liquor and articles; clothing; household facilities, articles and maintenance services; health care and personal articles; transportation and communication; recreation, education, culture articles and services and residence.
3. Survey Methods
The prices collection units are selected and determined by sample survey methods, and the original data of consumer prices are collected by specific person in fixed place at fixed time. Data are collected from 63,000 prices collection units in 500 cities and counties of the 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), which cover grocery stores, department stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, professional markets, franchise houses, shopping centers, open fairs and service consuming units etc.
