Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 9 Question: CPI stabilized at 2% in June, experts expect CPI growth to decrease in the second half of the year

  Xinhua News Agency reporters Chen Weiwei and Chen Aiping

  The National Bureau of Statistics released data on the 9th. In June, national consumer prices rose by 2.5% year-on-year. Although the CPI rose slightly by 0.1 percentage points from last month, it remained stable at 2% of the platform.

  "In June, the resumption of production and the resumption of the city's business continued to advance, and various departments in various regions seriously implemented the central government's series of policies and measures on guaranteeing supply and price stability, and the market was generally stable." Dong Lijuan, senior statistician of the City Department of the National Bureau of Statistics said.

  The main reason for the slight increase in CPI growth in June was food prices. In the same month, food prices rose by 11.1% year-on-year, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the previous month, which affected the CPI to rise by about 2.24 percentage points.

  "Fruits and vegetables are indispensable in daily life. I feel that the prices of vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, have increased significantly in the past month. For example, the price of common chicken feather vegetables is about 1 yuan higher than the price in May. The price of fruits is relatively cost-effective. Watermelon, grapes and other varieties They are all listed on the market. In addition, I feel that pork, beef and other meat prices have risen again in the past month." Zhu Hui, a Shanghai citizen, told reporters.

  Food prices have indeed risen in the short term. From the month-on-month data that better reflects short-term changes, in June, food prices rose 0.2% from the previous month.

  Dong Lijuan analyzed that in food, due to factors such as slower slaughter of pigs, stricter requirements for epidemic prevention and reduced imports, pork supply is tight, and consumer demand for catering and groups has rebounded. Pork prices have turned from a month-on-month decline of 8.1%. In order to increase by 3.6%; flood disasters occurred in many places in China, and there was an aggregate epidemic in the new market in Beijing, which caused short-term supply of vegetables in some areas. The price of fresh vegetables changed from a decrease of 12.5% ​​last month to an increase of 2.8%; The price of fresh fruit fell by 7.6% month-on-month, an increase of 6.8 percentage points from the previous month; the supply of eggs was sufficient, and the price fell by 4.1% month-on-month.

  Non-food prices are relatively stable. In June, non-food prices rose by 0.3% year-on-year, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous month. Among them, the prices of education, culture, entertainment, and healthcare increased by 1.9% year-on-year, and the prices of transportation and communications fell by 4.6%.

  Wen Bin, chief researcher of China Minsheng Bank, said that from a structural point of view, the main factor leading to a slight year-on-year increase in CPI in June was still the rise in food prices. However, generally speaking, with the restoration of economic and social order, the measures to maintain supply and stabilize prices in various regions have been implemented, and the supply and demand of food have basically been balanced. Although the price level fluctuates, the overall level will remain stable.

  It is worth noting that the core CPI after deducting food and energy prices rose by 0.9% year-on-year, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month. Liu Xuezhi, a senior researcher at the Bank of Communications Finance Research Center, said that lower non-food prices and core CPI indicate weaker demand, especially in the areas of tourism, recreation and sports, outdoor services and other areas, consumption recovery is still slow.

  Liu Xuezhi analyzed that pork price is the main factor affecting the trend of food prices. With the increase in live pig inventory leading to improved supply, the increase in pork prices will continue to narrow in the second half of the year. The epidemic has led to weak consumer demand for tourism, catering, accommodation, and life services. Its recovery is a slow process. Non-food prices may remain low and may gradually stabilize and rise slightly in the future. Overall judgment, it is expected that the CPI increase in the second half of the year will be lower than the first half.