SHENZHEN’S consumer price index (CPI), a major gauge of inflation, rose by 2.5 percent in July compared to a year earlier. On a monthly basis, the CPI climbed 0.6 percent, according to the Shenzhen survey office of the National Bureau of Statistics.

Food prices went up 0.2 percent month on month, while nonfood prices pushed the inflation rate higher, increasing by 0.7 percent. Service prices rose by 1.3 percent and consumer prices edged up 0.1 percent compared to a month earlier.

The price of fresh vegetables, fish and poultry continued to rise, while the prices of fresh fruit, meat and eggs slumped. Many parts of the country suffered from heavy rain and flooding as rainfall increased in July, leading to a short supply of vegetables and a rise of 1.1 percent in fresh vegetable prices month on month.

Regarding nonfood items, the surge in service prices was the main contributor. The summer travel season has driven up the prices of flights and tourism by 11.2 percent and hotel accommodations by 2.8 percent, on a monthly basis.

As July is also graduation season for college students, the rental housing supply in Shenzhen tightened, causing private housing rental prices to rise 1.5 percent month on month.

Meanwhile, influenced by the rising cost of raw materials, the price of traditional Chinese medicine ticked up 1.3 percent compared to a month earlier. Clothes prices dropped by 0.6 percent as businesses offered more discounts for summer clothing.

The prices of jewelry and watches fell 1.5 percent month on month due to declines in international gold and silver prices. (Zhang Yu)