In February, the consumer price index (CPI) went up by 1.4 percent year-on-year. The prices grew by 1.5 percent in cities and 1.2 percent in rural areas. The food prices went up by 2.4 percent, and the non-food prices increased 0.9 percent. The prices of consumer goods went up by 1.1 percent and the prices of services grew by 2.2 percent. On average from January to February, the overall consumer prices were up by 1.1 percent over the same period of the previous year.

In February, the consumer prices increased 1.2 percent month-on-month. Of which, prices increased 1.3 percent in cities and 1.0 percent in rural areas. The food prices went up by 2.9 percent, and the non-food prices increased 0.3 percent. The prices of consumer goods increased 1.3 percent, and the prices of services increased 0.9 percent.

I. Year-on-Year Changes of Prices of Different Categories

In February, food prices went up by 2.4 percent year-on-year, affecting nearly 0.81 percentage point increase in the overall price level. Of which, the prices of eggs went up by 11.4 percent, affecting nearly 0.09 percentage point increase in the overall price level; fresh vegetables, up by 4.3 percent, affecting nearly 0.16 percentage point increase in the overall price level; fresh fruits, up by 4.1 percent, affecting nearly 0.10 percentage point increase in the overall price level; grain, up by 2.9 percent, affecting nearly 0.08 percentage point increase in the overall price level; aquatic products, up by 2.1 percent, affecting nearly 0.06 percentage point increase in the overall price level; meat, poultry and related products, up by 1.4 percent, affecting nearly 0.10 percentage point increase in the overall price level (price of pork was down by 1.5 percent, affecting nearly 0.04 percentage point decrease in the overall price level).

In February, non-food prices went up by 0.9 percent year-on-year. Of which, the prices of clothing, health care and personal articles, recreation, education, culture articles and services, household facilities, articles and maintenance services, residence, increased 2.9, 1.9, 1.8, 1.5 and 0.6 percent respectively, that of transportation and communication, tobacco and liquor decreased 1.7 and 0.6 percent respectively.

According to estimation, in the 1.4 percent growth in February, the carryover effect of last year’s prices rising accounted for 0 percentage point, while new prices rising factors in this year accounted for 1.4 percentage points.

II. Month-on-Month Changes of Prices of Different Categories

In February, food prices went up by 2.9 percent  month-on-month. Of which, prices for fresh vegetables increased 13.6 percent, affecting nearly 0.46 percentage point increase in the overall price level; prices for fresh fruits went up by 8.9 percent, affecting nearly 0.21 percentage point increase in the overall price level; prices for aquatic products increased 6.1 percent, affecting nearly 0.16 percentage point increase in the overall price level; prices for pork was up by 0.8 percent, affecting nearly 0.02 percentage point increase in the overall price level.

Non-food prices went up by 0.3 percent  month-on-month. The month-on-month prices for recreation, education, culture articles and services, health care and personal articles, transportation and communication, increased 1.0, 0.6, 0.5 and 0.5 percent respectively; that of clothing, tobacco and liquor, decreased 0.3 and 0.2 percent respectively; that of residence kept at the same level.