Data released on April 15 by the Gansu Investigation Team of the National Bureau of Statistics shows that in March, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Gansu Province increased by 1.1% compared to the same period last year. The growth rate expanded by 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating overall stable price movements across the province.
Analyzed by year-on-year comparison, urban CPI rose by 1.2%, while rural CPI increased by 0.7%. Food prices went up by 1.2%, and non-food prices increased by 1.0%. Prices for consumer goods rose by 1.3%, and service prices increased by 0.8%. Throughout the first quarter of the year, consumer prices in the province maintained a mild upward trend.
On a month-on-month basis, Gansu's CPI fell by 0.4% in March. Urban areas saw a decline of 0.5%, and rural areas dropped by 0.3%. Food prices decreased by 2.2%, while non-food prices edged down by 0.1%. Consumer goods prices fell by 0.2%, and service prices declined by 0.7%.
Separate data released on the same day indicated that the Producer Price Index (PPI) for industrial producers in Gansu Province rose by 7.4% year-on-year in March. This represents an acceleration of 1.5 percentage points from the previous month, primarily driven by price increases in the non-ferrous metals and chemical industries. On a monthly basis, PPI increased by 0.6%, though the pace of growth slowed by 1.2 percentage points compared to February.
Year-on-year industrial price trends showed significant divergence. Heavy industry prices surged by 8.1%, accelerating by 1.6 percentage points and serving as the main driver behind the PPI increase. In contrast, light industry prices declined by 0.2%. By category, prices for means of production increased by 8.1%, with raw material industries experiencing the largest jump at 10.7%. Conversely, prices for means of subsistence fell by 2.1%. Across industrial sectors, manufacturing prices rose by 11.0%, mining prices increased slightly by 0.1%, while prices in the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water dropped by 7.8%.
From a month-on-month perspective, the 0.6% rise in PPI reflected a moderation in growth. Heavy industry prices increased by 0.6%, and light industry prices rose by 0.5%. By category, prices for means of production went up by 0.7%, with mining and quarrying industries posting a significant increase of 6.3%. Prices for means of subsistence, however, decreased by 0.8%. Among industrial sectors, mining saw a month-on-month increase of 6.3%, manufacturing rose by 0.6%, while the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water declined by 3.1%.
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