In September 2021, the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.7 percent year on year. Among them, the prices in urban and rural areas rose by 0.8 and 0.2 percent; the prices of food stuff fell by 5.2 percent, that of nonfood stuff rose by 2.0 percent; the prices of consumer goods and services rose by 0.2 and 1.4 percent. In the first nine months, China's consumer prices increased by 0.6 percent compared with the same period last year.
In September, the national consumer prices were flat month on month. Among them, cities were flat, while rural areas rose by 0.1 percent; food prices fell by 0.7 percent and non-food prices rose by 0.2 percent; consumer goods prices were flat, while service prices rose by 0.1 percent.
I. Year-on-Year Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In September, the prices of food, tobacco and alcohol decreased by 2.8 percent year-on-year, affecting the CPI to decline by about 0.79 percentage point. Among foodstuff, the price of livestock meat decreased by 28.5 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 1.26 percentage points, of which the price of pork decreased by 46.9 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 1.12 percentage points; the price of fresh vegetables decreased by 2.5 percent, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.05 percentage point; the price of fresh fruit decreased by 0.8 percent, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.01 percentage point; egg prices rose by 12.6 percent, affecting CPI up by about 0.08 percentage point; the price of aquatic products increased by 9.8 percent, affecting the CPI increase by about 0.18 percentage point; grain prices rose by 0.7 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 5.8, 3.2 and 1.3 percent respectively, and the prices of clothing, daily necessities and services and health care increased by 0.5, 0.5 and 0.4 percent respectively; the prices of other supplies and services decreased by 2.8 percent.
II. Month-on-Month Changes of Prices of Different Categories
In September, the prices of food, tobacco and alcohol decreased by 0.4 percent month on month, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.12 percentage point. Among foodstuff, the price of aquatic products decreased by 2.5 percent, affecting the decline of CPI by about 0.05 percentage point; the price of livestock meat decreased by 2.3 percent, which affected the decline of CPI by about 0.07 percentage point, of which the price of pork decreased by 5.1 percent, which affected the decline of CPI by about 0.07 percentage point; the price of fresh vegetables increased by 1.0 percent, affecting the increase of CPI by about 0.02 percentage point.
The prices of the other seven categories rose four dropped two and flat one. Among them, the prices of clothing, education, culture and entertainment increased by 0.8 and 0.7 percent respectively, and the prices of other supplies and services and housing increased by 0.3 and 0.2 percent respectively; health care prices were flat; the prices of transportation and communications, daily necessities and services decreased by 0.2 and 0.1 percent respectively.