Consumer Price Indices measure the relative change with time in prices of consumer goods and services, reflecting the rates of change in consumer goods and services purchased by households. It is an important indicator for macroeconomic analysis, decision-making, regularization and control, supervision of general price level and national economic accounting. The annualized rates of change are generally considered as an indicator of inflation or deflation.ª¥
    Consumer Price Indices of Urban Household reflect the trend and degree of changes in prices of consumer goods and services purchased by urban households and can be used to observe and analyze the impact of price changes in consumer goods and services on money wages of staff and workers, thus providing the basis for policy making concerning the living cost and the wages of staff and workers.ª¥
    Consumer Price Indices of Rural Household reflect the trend and degree of changes in prices of consumer goods and services purchased by rural households and can be used to observe and analyze the impact of change in prices of consumer goods and services on living expenditure and actual changes in the living standards of rural residents, thus providing the basis for analysis and research on the conditions of life in rural areas.ª¥
    Retail Price Indices measure the relative trend and degree of changes in retail prices of commodities, reflecting the trend of changes in prices in the last link of circulation, i.e. prices of consumer goods and office appliances sold to households or organizations by enterprises of industry, commerce, catering services and other retail trades. It provides a reference for macroeconomic adjustment and control as well as national economic accounting.ª¥
    Producer Price Indices for Manufactured Goods reflect the trend and degree of changes in ex-factory prices of main industrial products of all sectors of industry. It can be used to observe and analyze the impact of ex-factory price changes on enterprise efficiency in the course of production and macro-economy, and provides important data for scientific calculation of the growth rate of industry.ª¥
    Purchasing Price Indices of Raw Materials, Fuels and Power reflect the trend and degree of changes in prices of raw materials, fuels and power purchased by industrial enterprises. It can be used to observe and analyze, from the perspective of input, the impact of price changes in raw materials, fuels and power on industrial output.ª¥
    Price Indices of Investment in Fixed Assets reflect the trend and degree of changes in prices of investment in fixed assets in various projects and in the whole country. It can be used to remove the factor of price changes in the data of investment in fixed assets calculated at current prices, to truly reflect the scale, growth rate, structure, proportion and efficiency of investment in fixed assets in various projects and in the whole country, and to provide a scientific and reliable basis for formulating the plan for investment in fixed assets and examining its fulfillment as well as for conducting national economic accounting.
    Price Indices for Means of Agricultural Production reflect the trend and degree of changes in the prices of the means of agricultural production during a given period. Compilation of these indices helps to understand the changes in prices of input into agricultural production and facilitate the compilation of national accounts statistics. Before 1994, price indices for means of agricultural production were a sub-category in the retail price indices for commodities, and it has been compiled separately since 1994.
    Producers¡¯ Price Indices of Farm Products  reflect the trend and degree of changes in unit prices received by producers of farm products when they sell farm products at first hand (directly). These indices objectively reflect changes in the level and structure of producers¡¯ prices of farm products, meeting the needs of agricultural and national account statistics and providing governments of various levels with a basis for policy making concerning the protection of agriculture and the circulation of farm products.