In May 2021, the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.3 percent year on year. Among them, the prices in urban and rural areas rose by 1.4 and 1.1 percent; the prices of food stuff rose by 0.3 percent, that of nonfood stuff rose by 1.6 percent; the prices of consumer goods and services rose by 1.6 and 0.9 percent. In the first five months, China's consumer prices increased by 0.4 percent compared with the same period last year.

In May, China's consumer prices fell by 0.2 percent month on month. Among them, the prices in urban and rural areas dropped by 0.1 and 0.3 percent; that of food stuff fell by 1.7 percent, while that of non-food stuff rose by 0.2 percent; and that of consumer goods fell by 0.4 percent, while that of service climbed 0.2 percent.

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

In May, prices of food, tobacco and liquor went up by 0.8 percent year-on-year, affecting nearly 0.24 percentage point increase in the CPI. Among the foodstuff, the prices of eggs went up by 14.3 percent, affecting the CPI up by about 0.08 percentage point; that of aquatic products increased by 13.8 percent, affecting the CPI up by 0.25 percentage point in total; that of fresh vegetables rose by 5.4 percent, affecting the CPI up by 0.10 percentage point in total; that of that of fresh fruits rose by 1.4 percent, affecting the CPI up by 0.03 percentage point in total; that of grain went up by 0.8 percent, affecting nearly 0.01 percentage point increase in the CPI; that of livestock meat went down by 11.3 percent, affecting nearly 0.46 percentage point decrease in the CPI (price of pork was down by 23.8 percent, affecting nearly 0.50 percentage point decrease in the CPI).

Prices in the other seven categories were 6 up and 1 down year on year. In which, the prices of transportation and communications, education, culture and entertainment, and housing rose by 5.5, 1.5 and 0.7 percent; that of clothing, consumer goods and services and health care rose by 0.4, 0.4 and 0.2 percent; while that of other goods and services decreased by 0.9 percent.

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

In May, food, tobacco and alcohol prices went down by 1.0 percent month-on-month, affecting CPI decrease by 0.29 percentage point. Among the foodstuff, the prices of livestock meat went down by 6.0 percent, affecting nearly 0.23 percentage point decrease in the CPI (price of pork was down by 11.0 percent, affecting nearly 0.20 percentage point decrease in the CPI); that of fresh vegetables fell by 5.6 percent, affecting the CPI down by 0.11 percentage point in total; that of that of fresh fruits went down by 2.7 percent, affecting the CPI down by about 0.05 percentage point; that of aquatic products increased by 3.0 percent, affecting the CPI up by 0.06 percentage point in total; and that of eggs went up by 2.8 percent, affecting the CPI up by about 0.02 percentage point.

Other seven categories of prices rose 5 dropped 1 and flat 1 month on month. Among them, the prices of other goods and services, transportation and communication rose by 0.6 and 0.4 percent, that of clothing, education, culture and entertainment, and housing increased by 0.3, 0.3 and 0.1 percent; that of health care was flat, while that of consumer goods and services decreased by 0.1 percent.