Current
1.00%
Latest reading
China
CN cpi YOY
China inflation profileA manufacturing and consumption economy where food cycles, property demand and producer prices affect inflation differently from Western peers.
Data Updated & Verified · Aug 2026
Period High
2.78%
Below peak
Period Low
-0.87%
Trending down
Net Change
-47.6%
Over selected period
| Date | Metric | Value | MoM Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06 | CPI | 1.00% | ▼ 0.20 |
| 2026-05 | CPI | 1.20% | ■ 0.00 |
| 2026-04 | CPI | 1.20% | ▲ +0.17 |
| 2026-03 | CPI | 1.03% | ▼ 0.30 |
| 2026-02 | CPI | 1.33% | ▲ +1.10 |
| 2026-01 | CPI | 0.23% | ▼ 0.59 |
| 2025-12 | CPI | 0.82% | ▲ +0.10 |
| 2025-11 | CPI | 0.72% | ▲ +0.49 |
| 2025-10 | CPI | 0.23% | ▲ +0.50 |
| 2025-09 | CPI | -0.27% | ▲ +0.09 |
| 2025-08 | CPI | -0.36% | ▼ 0.38 |
| 2025-07 | CPI | 0.02% | ▼ 0.09 |
| 2025-06 | CPI | 0.11% | ▲ +0.18 |
| 2025-05 | CPI | -0.07% | ■ 0.00 |
| 2025-04 | CPI | -0.07% | ▲ +0.03 |
| 2025-03 | CPI | -0.10% | ▲ +0.67 |
| 2025-02 | CPI | -0.77% | ▼ 1.25 |
| 2025-01 | CPI | 0.48% | ▲ +0.38 |
| 2024-12 | CPI | 0.10% | ▼ 0.09 |
| 2024-11 | CPI | 0.19% | ▼ 0.10 |
| 2024-10 | CPI | 0.29% | ▼ 0.10 |
| 2024-09 | CPI | 0.39% | ▼ 0.19 |
| 2024-08 | CPI | 0.58% | ▲ +0.09 |
| 2024-07 | CPI | 0.49% | ▲ +0.30 |
| 2024-06 | CPI | 0.19% | ▼ 0.10 |
| 2024-05 | CPI | 0.29% | ▲ +0.10 |
| 2024-04 | CPI | 0.19% | ▲ +0.09 |
| 2024-03 | CPI | 0.10% | ▼ 0.58 |
| 2024-02 | CPI | 0.68% | ▲ +1.55 |
| 2024-01 | CPI | -0.87% | ▼ 0.58 |
| 2023-12 | CPI | -0.29% | ▲ +0.19 |
| 2023-11 | CPI | -0.48% | ▼ 0.29 |
| 2023-10 | CPI | -0.19% | ▼ 0.19 |
| 2023-09 | CPI | 0.00% | ▼ 0.10 |
| 2023-08 | CPI | 0.10% | ▲ +0.39 |
| 2023-07 | CPI | -0.29% | ▼ 0.29 |
| 2023-06 | CPI | 0.00% | ▼ 0.19 |
| 2023-05 | CPI | 0.19% | ▲ +0.09 |
| 2023-04 | CPI | 0.10% | ▼ 0.58 |
| 2023-03 | CPI | 0.68% | ▼ 0.30 |
| 2023-02 | CPI | 0.98% | ▼ 1.08 |
| 2023-01 | CPI | 2.06% | ▲ +0.28 |
| 2022-12 | CPI | 1.78% | ▲ +0.21 |
| 2022-11 | CPI | 1.57% | ▼ 0.60 |
| 2022-10 | CPI | 2.17% | ▼ 0.61 |
| 2022-09 | CPI | 2.78% | ▲ +0.29 |
| 2022-08 | CPI | 2.49% | ▼ 0.20 |
| 2022-07 | CPI | 2.69% | ▲ +0.20 |
| 2022-06 | CPI | 2.49% | ▲ +0.40 |
| 2022-05 | CPI | 2.09% | ▼ 0.09 |
| 2022-04 | CPI | 2.18% | ▲ +0.69 |
| 2022-03 | CPI | 1.49% | ▲ +0.50 |
| 2022-02 | CPI | 0.99% | ■ 0.00 |
| 2022-01 | CPI | 0.99% | ▼ 0.45 |
| 2021-12 | CPI | 1.44% | ▼ 1.04 |
| 2021-11 | CPI | 2.48% | ▲ +1.05 |
| 2021-10 | CPI | 1.43% | ▲ +0.97 |
| 2021-09 | CPI | 0.46% | ▼ 0.18 |
| 2021-08 | CPI | 0.64% | ▼ 1.27 |
| 2021-07 | CPI | 1.91% | ■ 0.00 |
Secular Data Trend Diagnosis
China is a low-inflation page, not a cooling-from-extreme page
China CPI is shown at 1.0% for 2026-06. The displayed series runs from a 5.9% opening point in the late 1990s up to an 8.8% high and down to a -2.2% low, while the latest reading sits near the low end of that range. The main question is not whether price pressure is surging, but whether demand is strong enough to lift prices gently from here.
GDP keeps the growth backdrop visible
The GDP reference is 0.9% for 2026 Q2 — a quarterly growth rate — with the full series back to 1996 averaging around 1.5%. That steady expansion gives readers a useful contrast with the low CPI reading. Growth can continue while consumer prices remain soft, especially when property demand, goods competition or food prices hold down the headline. The two numbers should be read together rather than forced into one simple story.
Food cycles can move the headline more than users expect
China's CPI can react to food prices in ways that feel abrupt, especially when pork, vegetables or seasonal supply changes affect household spending. A 1.0% headline looks quiet, but it may hide category-level movement. Users should avoid reading low CPI as meaning every part of the basket is flat. The chart is a starting point, and the table helps show whether a recent turn is becoming persistent.
Low CPI can signal relief or weak demand
For consumers, low inflation can feel helpful because prices are not rising quickly. For the economy, the same number can raise a different question: is demand strong enough? The latest 1.0% CPI reading sits near the low end of the displayed range. That makes GDP context important, because quarterly GDP growth is still running at 0.9% even while consumer inflation remains mild.
The long window prevents false drama
Small moves from 5.9% to 1.0% can look large in a short chart window. The wider view shows that China's CPI range is still narrow compared with many other pages. The current value is above the recent low, but far below the 8.8% high. That frame helps readers treat the latest move as a modest pickup rather than a broad inflation surge.
GDP and CPI are sending different kinds of information
GDP is showing scale and ongoing expansion in the displayed series. CPI is showing that consumer price growth remains subdued. Together, they point to an economy where growth and household price pressure are not moving in the same way. That is useful for readers comparing China with India, the United States or the Euro Area, where the CPI stories are more obviously inflation-led.
A low headline needs a different SEO angle
China's page should not copy the language used for high-inflation economies. With CPI at 1.0%, the search intent is often about softness, demand, food-price cycles and whether prices are rising enough to reflect healthier consumption. That makes the copy more useful when it explains what low inflation can mean, instead of forcing the same cost-of-living frame used for countries that recently reached much higher peaks.
Read GDP as a growth pace, not a level
The GDP reference here is a quarterly growth rate — 0.9% for 2026 Q2, with the long-run series averaging around 1.5% — rather than an output total, so it can be compared directly with growth readings on other country pages. The page should still avoid turning one quarter's pace into a yearly conclusion.
What to watch next
The next useful signs are food prices, consumer demand and whether producer-price pressure reaches retail shelves. If CPI stays near 1.0% while GDP keeps rising, the page will continue to read as a low-inflation growth story. If CPI moves toward the 8.8% high, users should check whether the shift is broad or mostly a food-cycle effect. This page also needs to answer a search question that is easy to miss: low inflation can be as important as high inflation. Users may be checking whether prices are too soft, whether demand is improving, or whether food prices are turning. The copy therefore keeps CPI, GDP and household demand in one reading instead of presenting the 1.0% value as a standalone fact.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can China have low CPI? +
China CPI is low on this page because the latest displayed reading is 1.0%, with a long-run range from a -2.2% low to an 8.8% high and the latest value near the low end. That points to mild consumer price growth rather than the high-inflation pattern seen in some other economies.
How do food cycles affect readings? +
Low CPI can be good for household budgets, but it can also suggest softer demand. That is why the GDP reference matters. China GDP growth is shown at 0.9% for 2026 Q2, with the long-run quarterly series averaging around 1.5%.
Why compare CPI and GDP? +
Food prices can move China CPI because household spending is sensitive to food cycles. A low headline does not mean every category is flat; it means the blended consumer basket is rising slowly at the latest update.
What does producer pressure imply? +
China differs from the United States or Euro Area because its latest CPI reading of 1.0% sits near the low end of its own long-run range — the current question is softness and demand, not a fall from a recent inflation spike.
How timely are updates? +
Use the GDP chart to avoid reading low CPI as the whole economy. GDP rises through the displayed series, while CPI stays mild, so the two indicators are giving different but complementary signals.