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 Consumer
Price Indices of Urban Household and Consumer Price Indices of Rural Household. 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.
Consumer
Price Indices of Urban Household 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.
Consumer Price
Indices of Rural Household 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 rural households. 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 for Means
of Agricultural 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 for means of
agricultural production were a sub-category in the retail price indices for
commodities, and it has been compiled separately since 1994.
Producer Prices Indices
for 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 producer prices for
farm products of the country and meet the needs of agricultural statistics and
national accounts statistics. The producer price index for a given product is
calculated as the geometrical mean of individual indices for all surveyed units
which sell such product, and the indices for a product category is obtained as
the weighted mean of price indices for all products in the category. Method for
calculating accumulative quarterly indices is the same as for calculating the
individual quarterly indices.
Producer Price
Indices for Manufactured Goods reflect the trend and degree of changes in general ex-factory
prices of all manufactured goods during a given period, including sales of manufactured
goods 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 Price Indices
for 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 for
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 for
investment in fixed assets are calculated as the weighted arithmetic mean of
the price indices for 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 for Real Estate
reflect the trend and degree of changes in prices of real estate during a given
period, including sale price indices for 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 super-collecting approach .