Explanatory Notes on Major Statistical Indicators

【Consumer Price Index】 refers to the consumption price for living necessities and services by people in urban and rural areas. It is the ultimate price of consumer goods and services. Thus it reflects the relative change in prices of consumer goods and services purchased by urban and rural families and can be used to observe and analyse the impact of price changes in consumer goods and services on living expenditure and actual charge in urban and rural households. The index also serves as a key norm in inflation.

【Retail Price Index】refers to the last price of goods in the circulation. It is the price that industry, commerce, catering trade and other retail enterprises sell consumer goods and appliances to urban and rural residents, institutions and social organizations. The index thus reflects the relative change of the price in retail markets and as a result the index provides basis for the government on the policymaking, studies of market circulation in urban and rural areas, and national economy accounting.

【Ex-factory Price Index of Industrial Products】 It means that the industrial enterprises sell, allocate and transfer the products price from the commercial (or goods and material) departments or commercial enterprises, other manufactures and individuals, it is also called as industrial producers price. It is the initial price that the industrial products enter into circulate domain. The industrial products Ex-factory price index means that it reflects the ex-factory price level alteration trend and the change degree comparative figure for the industrial products within a certain period of time. It is an important reference target for the national economy accounting and calculation industry development speed as well.

【Price Index of the Purchased Materials, Fuel and Power】refers to the statistical index of the trend and extent of the price fluctuation which industrial enterprises paid in purchasing the raw materials, fuel and power from goods exchange markets and fuel, material manufacturing enterprises for their own production needs. It is an important basis for the industrial enterprises in deducting fluctuant affections of the price from the material consumption cost.

【Price Index of Houses Selling】houses selling price refers to the actual price paid in the deal between buyer and seller when the proprietary of houses transfers. Include commodity houses sales, second-hand houses transactions and the public-owned houses sales. The price index of house selling reflects the relative figures which indicate the trend and extent of house price fluctuations within a certain period.

【Disposable Income】indicates the sum of income the surveyed acquired during the survey period that can be used as final consumption expenditure and savings, i.e. the income can be freely disposed by the surveyed. Disposable income include money income as well as in-kind income. Disposable income is composed of four parts according to source of income, they are: salary income, net business income, net property income and net transfer income.

【Living Consumption Expenditure】indicates the total expenditure to meet the consumption demand of inhabitant’s daily life, including expenditure on consumer goods and expenditure on service consumption. Consumption Expenditure can be divided into eight main categories according to different purposes: food, liquor & tobacco, clothing, dwelling, articles & services for daily use, transportation & communication, education, culture & recreation, medical care, other articles & services.