Our country's CPI is undergoing a new round of base period re-basing.

This article is reprinted from: People’s Daily Overseas Edition

According to Xinhua News Agency Beijing, reporter Wang Yuxiao and He Xiao, the reporter recently learned from the National Bureau of Statistics that China has adjusted the classification categories for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey, expanded the survey network and specifications, and carried out a new round of base period rotation. The CPI data for January, released on February 11, is the first data release after this base period rotation.

The reporter understands that China conducts a base period rotation for the CPI every five years. 2025 is the year for the CPI base period rotation. The main tasks include adjusting survey classification categories, reselecting representative specifications and survey sites, recalculating category weights, and adjusting the price comparison base period.

CPI compilation typically selects a fixed “basket” of goods and services that are frequently consumed by residents, significantly impact residents’ lives, and are representative, using their price changes to reflect the overall price changes of all goods and services in society.

“To adapt to the latest changes in residents’ consumption structure and ensure the representativeness of the ‘fixed basket,’ it is necessary to regularly adjust the categories and structure of goods and services in the ‘fixed basket.’ This is the main content of the base period rotation,” said the head of the Urban Department of the National Bureau of Statistics.

This official introduced that, based on thorough research of the consumer market and feedback from various sectors, the classification categories for the CPI survey were adjusted according to actual conditions. For example, new categories reflecting consumption of security equipment for housing, dishwashers, electric power for vehicles, and internet medical services were added, further expanding the statistical monitoring coverage of new economic and new fields.

“In this round of base period, the survey coverage has been further expanded. Not only were new retail outlets such as membership-based supermarkets and emerging instant retail platforms like flash sales added, but also representative specifications such as smart drones,” said the head of the Urban Department of the National Bureau of Statistics.

The official explained that to adapt to changes in residents’ consumption methods and content in the era of big data, this round of base period further optimized CPI data collection methods, increasing the proportion of big data applications such as online transaction prices, corporate electronic data, and administrative records.

To better meet the growing data needs of all sectors of society, the National Bureau of Statistics publicly released the base period weights for eight major categories of the CPI and some key subcategories, totaling 13 indicators, to promote further transparency in statistical work.