In June this year, consumer price index (CPI) increased by 5 percent over the same month of last year. The rise in urban areas recorded 4.6 percent while the upturn in rural areas stood 5.6 percent.

Compared with May, the consumer price index in June declined 0.7 percent. The figure for the first six months of the year rose 3.6 percent over the same period of last year.

Specifically, in June, prices of the consumable went up by 6.0 percent over the same month of last year, services by 1.8 percent, food by 14 percent and non-food by 0.6 percent.

Sales in the market grew aggressively for the first half of the year. Retail sales reached 2524.9 billion yuan, 12.8 percent higher than the same period of last year. Retail sales in June posted at 425.1 billion yuan, up 13.9 percent over last June.

By People's Daily Online