Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical
Indicators
Consumer Price Indices reflect the trend and degree of changes in prices of consumer goods and services
purchased by urban and rural households during a given period. They are
obtained by combining the Urban Consumer Price Indices and the Rural Consumer Price Indices. The
Indices enable the observation and analysis of the degree of impact of the changes
in the prices of retailed goods and services on the actual living expenses of
urban and rural residents.
Urban
Consumer Price Indices reflect the trend and degree of changes
in prices of consumer goods and services purchased by urban households during a
given period. It can be used to observe and analyze the impact of price changes
in consumer goods and services on wages (in monetary terms) of urban staff and
workers, and provide a basis for research on the livelihood of staff and
workers and policy-making concerning wages.
Rural Consumer Price
Indices reflect the trend and degree of changes
in prices of consumer goods and services purchased by rural households during a
given period. It can be used to observe the impact of change in retail prices
of consumer goods and service prices in rural areas on living expenditure of
rural households, and to show the changes in the living standard of peasants.
It provides a basis for analysis and research on the condition of life in rural
areas.
Retail Price Indices
reflect the trend and degree of change in retail prices of commodities
during a given period. The change in retail prices of commodities directly
affect the living expenses of urban and rural residents, government revenue,
purchasing power of residents and the equilibrium of market supply and demand,
and the ratio of consumption to accumulation. Therefore, the retail price
indices are useful from an oblique perspective for observing and analyzing the
changes of the above economic activities.
Price
Indices of Agricultural Means of Production reflect the trend and degree of changes in the prices of the means of
agricultural production during a given period. Compilation of these indices helps
to understand the changes in prices of input into agricultural production and
facilitate the compilation of national accounts statistics. Before 1994, price
indices of means of agricultural production were a sub-category in the retail
price indices of commodities, and it has been compiled separately since 1994.
Producers’
Prices Indices of Farm Products reflect the trend and degree of changes in producers’
prices received by farmers when they sell farm products during a given period.
These indices depict the change in the level and structure of producers’ prices
of farm products of the country and meet the needs of agricultural statistics
and national accounts statistics. The producers’ price index of a given product
is calculated as the geometrical mean of individual indices of all surveyed
units which sell such product, and the indices of a product category is
obtained as the weighted mean of price indices of all products in the category.
Method for calculating accumulative quarterly indices is the same as for
calculating the individual quarterly indices.
Ex-factory
Price Indices of Industrial Products
reflect the
trend and degree of changes in general ex-factory prices of all industrial products
during a given period, including sales of industrial products by an industrial
enterprise to all units outside the enterprise, as well as sales of consumer
goods to residents. It can be used to analyze the impact of ex-factory prices
on gross output value and value-added of the industrial sector.
Purchasing Prices
Indices of Raw Materials, Fuels and Power reflect changes in the level and degree of prices paid by
industrial enterprises when they purchase production input such as raw
materials, fuels and power from the market or from other energy or raw
materials producing enterprises. These indices provide an important basis for
measuring the material consumption of industrial enterprises after removing the
influence of price changes.
At present, close to
1,800 products in 9 categories, including fuels and power, ferrous metals,
non-ferrous metals, chemicals, building materials, are covered in
Price Indices of
Investment in Fixed Assets reflect the trend and degree of changes
in prices of investment goods and projects in fixed assets during a given
period. The investment in fixed assets consists of three components, namely the
investment in construction and installation, the investment in purchases of
equipment and instrument, and the investment in other items. Price indices of
investment in fixed assets are calculated as the weighted arithmetic mean of
the price indices of the three components of investment in fixed assets.
Removing the factor
of price change in the aggregates of investment at current prices, this
indicator shows the changes in the prices of commodities and fees involved in
the investment of fixed assets, and can be used to observe the actual size,
growth, structure, and efficiency of investment in fixed assets and provides
reliable and scientific data for government planning, management,
decision-making, and further improving the current national accounting system.
Price Indices of
Real Estate reflect
the trend and degree of changes in prices of real estate during a given period,
including sale price indices of houses, price indices for renting houses, price
indices for land transactions and price indices for management of properties.
The methods for the compilation of these four sets of indices are similar in
that they all use the bottom-up approach under which data are reported from
lower level to higher level.