According to Yichang Survey Team of the National Bureau of Statistics, in February, urban CPI rose 2.4% as compared with the same month last year, and chain rose 2.1%. The margin of increase expanded 1.5% over that of January of the previous year. The increase margin expanded 1.7% in January. Price rises of food; cigarettes and wine are the major factors of the rise of the total index.

Vegetable prices soared sharply. In February, on the occasion of Spring Festival, the market demand was so strong that the prices of fresh vegetable and fruits soared and the prices of such vegetables as kidney beans and cucumber doubled. Vegetable prices of this month rose by 40.3% month-on-month and the potato rose by 33.6%.

There was a slight price increase in pork, beef and mutton while the prices of livestock meat by-products rose remarkably. Citizens’ consumption demands increased during the Spring Festival. The price of pork, beef and mutton rose by 1.6%, 3.7% and 0.7% month-on-month respectively. However, except that the price of pork had a positive year-on-year growth, the price of beef and mutton suffered a negative year-on-year growth.

Affected by the price rises of pork liver, coagulated pig blood and bittern dish, the prices of livestock meat by-products and other meat products substantially rose by 11.7% and 7.7% month-on-month respectively.  

The prices of aquatic products also rose. The prices of aquatic products rose due to the approaching of the holiday. The prices of freshwater fish, saltwater fish, shrimps and crabs and other marine products rose by 5.8%, 2.4%, 9.6% and 9.4% month-on-month respectively.

The egg prices rose by 3.4% month-on-month. Egg production declined because of the cold weather, but due to the approaching holiday, market demand rose. Yet, with the rise of the temperature, egg prices started to fall.

The price of vehicle repair and motor maintenance rose by 10.6% month-on-month, due to the price rise of car washing during the Spring Festival.

In addition, the charge of education service increased. In February, the charge of public high schools, private junior schools and private kindergartens increased sharply. The charge of preschool education, secondary vocational education and extracurricular education rose by 5.8%, 34.2% and 22.8% respectively. (Reporter: Pei Shujing, Correspondent: Zou Jiao)