In August 2021, the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.8 percent year on year. Among them, the prices in urban and rural areas rose by 1.0 and 0.3 percent; the prices of food stuff fell by 4.1 percent, that of nonfood stuff rose by 1.9 percent; the prices of consumer goods and services rose by 0.3 and 1.5 percent. In the first eight months, China's consumer prices increased by 0.6 percent compared with the same period last year.
In August, the national consumer price rose by 0.1 percent month on month. Among them, the prices in urban and rural areas rose by 0.1 and 0.2 percent respectively; Food prices rose by 0.8 percent and non-food prices fell by 0.1 percent; consumer prices rose 0.2 percent and service prices were flat.
I. Year-on-Year Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In August, the prices of food, tobacco and alcohol decreased by 2.0 percent year-on-year, affecting the CPI to decline by about 0.58 percentage point. Among foodstuff, the price of livestock meat decreased by 27.1 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 1.20 percentage points, of which the price of pork decreased by 44.9 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 1.09 percentage points; the price of fresh vegetables decreased by 1.5 percent, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.03 percentage point; egg prices rose by 13.9 percent, affecting CPI up by about 0.08 percentage point; the price of aquatic products increased by 11.7 percent, which affected the increase of CPI by about 0.21 percentage point; fresh fruit prices rose by 5.0 percent, affecting CPI up by about 0.08 percentage point; grain prices rose by 0.8 percent, affecting CPI up by about 0.01 percentage point.
The prices of the other seven categories rose six and fell one year-on-year. Among them, the prices of transportation and communication, education, culture and entertainment and housing increased by 5.9, 3.0 and 1.1 percent respectively, and the prices of daily necessities and services, clothing and health care increased by 0.6, 0.5 and 0.4 percent respectively; and the prices of other supplies and services decreased by 3.9 percent.
II. Month-on-Month Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In August, the prices of food, tobacco and alcohol increased by 0.5 percent month on month, affecting the increase of CPI by about 0.15 percentage point. Among foodstuff, the price of fresh vegetables increased by 8.6 percent, affecting the increase of CPI by about 0.16 percentage point; egg prices rose by 7.3 percent, affecting CPI up by about 0.05 percentage point; the price of aquatic products decreased by 2.3 percent, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.05 percentage point; the price of livestock meat decreased by 0.9 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 0.03 percentage point, of which the price of pork decreased by 1.4 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 0.02 percentage point; the price of fresh fruit decreased by 0.4 percent, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.01 percentage point.
The prices of the other seven categories rose two and fell three and flat two month on month. Among them, the prices of housing, daily necessities and services both increased by 0.1 percent; that of education, culture and entertainment, and health care both unchanged; that of other supplies and services, transportation and communication, and clothing fell by 0.9, 0.6 and 0.1 percent.