Consumer Prices for March 2014
In March, the consumer price index (CPI) went up by 2.4 percent year-on-year. The prices grew by 2.5 percent in cities and 2.1 percent in rural areas. The food prices went up by 4.1 percent, while the non-food prices increased 1.5 percent. The prices of consumer goods went up by 2.2 percent and the prices of services grew by 2.8 percent. On average from January to March, the overall consumer prices were up by 2.3 percent over the same period of the previous year.
In March, the month-on-month change of consumer prices was down by 0.5 percent, of which, prices decreased 0.5 percent in cities and 0.6 percent in rural areas. The food prices went down by 1.6 percent, while the non-food prices went up by 0.1 percent. The prices of consumer goods decreased 0.6 percent, and the prices of services went down by 0.1 percent.
I. Year-on-Year Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In March, food prices went up by 4.1 percent year-on-year, affecting nearly 1.35 percentage points increase in the overall price level. Of which, the prices of fresh vegetables went up by 12.9 percent, affecting nearly 0.41 percentage points increase in the overall price level; fresh fruits, up by 17.3 percent, affecting nearly 0.37 percentage points increase in the overall price level; aquatic products, up by 7.7 percent, affecting nearly 0.20 percentage points increase in the overall price level; grain, up by 2.7 percent, affecting nearly 0.08 percentage points increase in the overall price level; meat, poultry and related products, down by 1.8 percent, affecting nearly 0.14 percentage points decrease in the overall price level (price of pork was down by 6.7 percent, affecting nearly 0.21 percentage points decrease in the overall price level).
Prices for tobacco and liquor went down by 0.7 percent year-on-year. Of which, that of liquor was down by 1.8 percent, and that of tobacco was up by 0.2 percent.
Prices for clothing rose by 2.3 percent year-on-year. The prices for clothes went up by 2.6 percent while the prices for shoes increased 1.6 percent.
Prices for household facilities, articles and maintenance services went up by 1.2 percent year-on-year, of which, prices for household services and processing, maintenance services, up by 6.9 percent and durable consumer goods up by 0.4 percent.
Prices for health care and personal articles grew by 1.2 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for traditional Chinese herbal medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines, went up by 4.1 percent, health care services, up by 1.1 percent, western medicine, up by 0.5 percent, medical apparatus and supplies, up by 0.5 percent.
Prices for transportation and communication decreased 0.4 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for communication facilities went down by 5.4 percent, fuels and parts for vehicles, down by 1.2 percent, transportation facilities, down by 1.0 percent, vehicles use and maintenance, up by 2.6 percent.
Prices for recreation, education, culture articles and services grew by 2.1 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for touring and outing went up by 8.3 percent, education service, up by 2.3 percent, recreation and culture, up by 1.3 percent.
Prices for residence went up by 2.5 percent year-on-year. Of which, prices for house renting, up by 4.1 percent, building and building decoration materials, up by 1.4 percent, water, electricity and fuel, up by 1.0 percent.
According to estimation, in the 2.4 percent growth in March, the carryover effect of last year’s prices rising accounted for 1.3 percentage points, while new prices rising factors in this year accounted for 1.1 percentage points.
II. Month-on-Month Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In March, food prices went down by 1.6 percent month-on-month. Of which, prices for pork, fresh vegetables, aquatic products and fresh fruits decreased 7.1, 5.4, 1.9 and 1.6 percent respectively, affecting nearly 0.21, 0.20, 0.05 and 0.04 percentage points decrease in the overall price level respectively.
Non-food prices went up by 0.1 percent month-on-month. Of which, the month-on-month prices for clothing, residence, tobacco and liquor, health care and personal articles increased 0.7, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.1 percent respectively; that of household facilities, articles and maintenance services remained at the same level (the amount of change was 0); that of recreation, education, culture articles and services, transportation and communication decreased 0.4 and 0.3 percent respectively.
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Consumer Prices in March
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| Items | March | Average on Jan-Mar | |
| M/M (%) | Y/Y (%) | Y/Y (%) | |
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| Consumer Prices | -0.5 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Of which: Urban | -0.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Rural | -0.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Of which: Food | -1.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| Non food | 0.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Of which: Consumer Goods | -0.6 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Services | -0.1 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
| Of which: Excluding Food and Energy | 0.1 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Of which: Excluding Fresh Vegetables and Fresh Fruits | -0.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| By Commodity Categories |
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| I. Food | -1.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| Grain | 0.2 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Grease | -0.4 | -5.4 | -5.1 |
| Meat, Poultry and Related Products | -3.5 | -1.8 | -1.5 |
| Of which: Pork | -7.1 | -6.7 | -6.6 |
| Beef | -1.2 | 8.2 | 9.3 |
| Mutton | -0.9 | 7.1 | 8.4 |
| Eggs | -0.5 | 0.4 | -3.1 |
| Aquatic Products | -1.9 | 7.7 | 6.2 |
| Fresh Vegetables | -5.4 | 12.9 | 5.8 |
| Fresh Fruits | -1.6 | 17.3 | 19.9 |
| Milk and dairy Products | 0.3 | 11.3 | 11.6 |
| II. Tobacco, Liquor and Articles | 0.1 | -0.7 | -0.7 |
| Tobacco | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Liquor | 0.2 | -1.8 | -1.9 |
| III. Clothing | 0.7 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Clothing | 0.7 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Shoes | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Clothing Processing Service | 0.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| IV. Household Facilities, Articles and Maintenance Services | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Durable Consumers | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Household Services and Processing, Maintenance Service | -0.3 | 6.9 | 7.5 |
| V. Health Care and Personal Articles | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Chinese Herbal Medicines and Proprietary Chinese Medicines | 0.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Western Medicines | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Health Care Services | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| VI. Transportation and Communication | -0.3 | -0.4 | -0.2 |
| Transportation Facilities | 0.0 | -1.0 | -1.0 |
| Fuels and Parts for Vehicles | 1.5 | -1.2 | -0.5 |
| Vehicle Use and Maintenance | -0.7 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| Communication Facilities | -0.2 | -5.4 | -5.7 |
| Communication Services | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| VII. Recreation, Education, Culture Articles and Services | -0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Education Services | 0.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Tourism | -2.7 | 8.3 | 10.1 |
| VIII. Residence | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Building and its Decoration Materials | -0.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| House Renting | 0.5 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| Water, Electricity, and Fuel | -0.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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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.