Beijing's average household spending in the first five months of this year reached 9,661 yuan (US$1,267.12), 21.8 percent higher than the same period of last year, according to statistics jointly released yesterday by the Beijing statistics bureau and Beijing survey team of the National Bureau of Statistics.

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The overall level of consumer prices in May rose 0.7 percent year-on-year. Specifically, food prices are up 4.1 percent, while non-food prices dropped by 0.8 percent. Statistics also show consumer product prices gained 0.7 percent, and prices in the service industry also increased 0.4 percent.

Within the food category, prices of staple foods increased 6.7 percent. Cooking oil prices climbed by 16 percent, and the cost of meat and poultry rose 17.7 percent. The prices of eggs surged by 28 percent and the cost of seafood was up 3.9 percent. However, vegetable prices were down 5.2 percent.

Within the five-month period, per capita expenses on food were 2,094 yuan, a 10.5 percent year-on-year increase. Average cost on housing purchases jumped to 1,434 yuan per capita, up 92.0 percent, while social security expenses increased by 14.8 percent to 829 yuan.

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