<p>China's consumer inflation in March hit the slowest pace since September 2021, driven by falling food prices, official data showed on Tuesday, suggesting demand weakness persists amid an uneven economic recovery.</p>.<p>Producer deflation extended into a sixth month.</p>.<p>The consumer price index (CPI) for the month rose 0.7 per cent year-on-year, compared with the 1.0 per cent annual gain seen in February, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The result missed the median estimate of a 1.0 per cent rise in a <em>Reuters </em>poll.</p>.<p>The CPI fell 0.3 per cent from a month earlier after a 0.5 per cent fall in February, slower than a forecast of no change.</p>.<p>The government has set a target for average consumer prices in 2023 to be about 3 per cent. Prices rose 2 per cent on year in 2022.</p>.<p>The producer price index (PPI) fell 2.5 per cent from a year earlier, compared with a 1.4 per cent drop in February. It was in line with a forecast tipped in a <em>Reuters </em>poll.</p>.<p>The PPI remained flat from a month earlier, in line with the previous month's rate.</p>.<p>Recent data showed China's economic rebound remained uneven in March with the services sector seeing strong recovery but the sprawling manufacturing sector losing momentum amid still-weak export orders.</p>
<p>China's consumer inflation in March hit the slowest pace since September 2021, driven by falling food prices, official data showed on Tuesday, suggesting demand weakness persists amid an uneven economic recovery.</p>.<p>Producer deflation extended into a sixth month.</p>.<p>The consumer price index (CPI) for the month rose 0.7 per cent year-on-year, compared with the 1.0 per cent annual gain seen in February, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The result missed the median estimate of a 1.0 per cent rise in a <em>Reuters </em>poll.</p>.<p>The CPI fell 0.3 per cent from a month earlier after a 0.5 per cent fall in February, slower than a forecast of no change.</p>.<p>The government has set a target for average consumer prices in 2023 to be about 3 per cent. Prices rose 2 per cent on year in 2022.</p>.<p>The producer price index (PPI) fell 2.5 per cent from a year earlier, compared with a 1.4 per cent drop in February. It was in line with a forecast tipped in a <em>Reuters </em>poll.</p>.<p>The PPI remained flat from a month earlier, in line with the previous month's rate.</p>.<p>Recent data showed China's economic rebound remained uneven in March with the services sector seeing strong recovery but the sprawling manufacturing sector losing momentum amid still-weak export orders.</p>