China's core inflation hits 19-month high, signaling firmer domestic demand

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's consumer prices showed further signs of stabilization in September, as core inflation reached its highest level in 19 months, underscoring a gradual strengthening in domestic demand.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, the core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes food and energy prices, rose 1 percent year on year, marking the fifth consecutive month of acceleration and the strongest increase since February 2024.

The headline CPI also showed a positive trend -- logging a 0.1 percent month-on-month increase from a flat August and narrowing its year-on-year decline to 0.3 percent, compared with a 0.4 percent drop in August.