Data released on September 10th by the Sichuan Survey Team of the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the province's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.9% year-on-year in August, with the pace of growth accelerating by 0.6 percentage points compared to the previous month.
Breaking down the figures, urban areas saw a 1.1% increase while rural regions recorded a 0.4% rise. Food prices declined by 1.2%, whereas non-food items climbed 1.3%. Goods prices were up 0.5% and services increased by 1.2%.
Among the eight major categories, six experienced year-on-year price increases, while two saw declines. Leading the gains were "other goods and services" at 6.9%, followed by healthcare at 3.0%, and transport and communications at 2.7%. Education, culture, and entertainment rose 2.1%, clothing prices increased 1.3%, and household goods and services edged up 0.2%. In contrast, food, tobacco, and alcohol, along with dining out, fell by 0.7%, while housing prices decreased by 0.6%.
On a month-over-month basis, Sichuan's CPI inched up 0.4% in August. Urban areas saw a 0.4% bump, while rural areas increased by 0.3%. Food prices grew 0.9%, and non-food items rose 0.3%. Goods prices increased by 0.8%, while service prices remained flat.
The data also revealed that the province's Producer Price Index (PPI) surged 3.2% year-on-year in August. Looking at the January-to-August period, the average PPI was 1.2% higher compared to the same timeframe last year.