Volume 1: Consumer Price Indices

China

Official title

Overall Staff and Workers' Cost of Living Index.

Scope

The index is computed once a year and covers staff and workers throughout the whole country.

Official base

1950 = 100.

Source of weights

The weights for calculating the general index are the actual value of sales and purchases based on the different prices.

Weights and composition

Not available.

Household consumption expenditure

Not available.

Method of data collection

Prices are collected in 140 cities and 230 country towns, and are the official list prices for state-owned establishments, free market (fair trade) prices, negotiated prices or the purchase prices of surplus farm produce and side-line products. Prices are collected for 450 items in the cities and 400 items in the country towns.

Housing

Not available.

Specification of varieties

A standard commodity is adopted for each item to be priced.

Substitution, quality change, etc.

Not available.

Seasonal items

Not available.

Computation

Not available.

Other information

The index is also published by region and on base preceding year = 100. Other indices are calculated for Overall Residents and for Overall Farmers, also by region.

Organisation and publication

State Statistical Bureau: Statistical Yearbook (Beijing).