China CPI October 2026
October 13 @ 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm
China CPI October 2026
Next China CPI: Wednesday, at 9:30 am CST (9:30 pm ET, 2:30 am London). Covers September 2026 data.
- Consensus
- Not yet published
- Prior
- 0.5% YoY (July 2026)
- Actual
- Pending
Full schedule and background: China CPI.
Updated
China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September 2026 is released on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 9:30 pm ET (9:30 am China Standard Time on October 14, which is 2:30 am in London the same day). The data comes from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS), the government agency responsible for compiling the country’s official price statistics. Full schedule and background: China CPI.
Because China is roughly 12 to 13 hours ahead of US East Coast time, the release lands in the evening for American traders and overnight for European ones, so most of the market reaction is already visible by the time London and New York desks open.
What is the China CPI?
The Consumer Price Index measures the average change over time in prices paid by urban and rural households for a fixed basket of goods and services, including food, housing, transport, healthcare and education. It is the main gauge of inflation in the world’s second-largest economy and one of the inputs the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) weighs when setting monetary policy.
The headline figure is usually reported year-on-year (comparing prices with the same month a year earlier) and month-on-month (comparing with the previous month). The NBS also publishes a core CPI reading, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, giving a cleaner read on underlying demand.
Investors, policymakers and businesses trading with China watch this release closely because persistently weak inflation, or outright deflation, can signal soft consumer demand, which has knock-on effects for global commodity prices, export orders from Europe and Asia, and multinational firms’ earnings in China.
When is the September China CPI released?
The NBS publishes the September 2026 CPI report on October 14, 2026 at 9:30 am local time in Beijing (9:30 pm ET on October 13 in US terms, though the calendar date in China is already the 14th). The release is published on the NBS website in both Chinese and English. China’s statistics agency follows a fixed monthly release calendar, typically publishing CPI around the 9th to 15th of the following month, so this date is confirmed rather than estimated.
What is the consensus forecast?
A consensus forecast for the September 2026 reading has not yet been published at the time of writing. Economists surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg typically publish their median forecasts in the days immediately before the release, once trade and PMI data for the month are available.
The most recent confirmed reading comes from the NBS report for July 2026, which showed headline CPI up 0.5% year-on-year and core CPI (excluding food and energy) up 0.9% year-on-year, according to the official NBS statement. That was down from 1.0% year-on-year in June 2026, according to data compiled by Trading Economics. The August 2026 print, released in mid-September, could not be independently verified at the time this page was prepared; readers should check the NBS release directly for the latest confirmed figure ahead of the September data.
| Measure | Prior (July 2026) | Consensus (September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Headline CPI (YoY) | 0.5% | Not yet published |
| Core CPI (YoY) | 0.9% | Not yet published |
What the result could mean
| Scenario | Likely market read | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Above consensus | Could ease deflation worries and reduce pressure on the PBOC to add stimulus | Prices are rising a bit faster than expected, suggesting demand in China is holding up better than feared |
| In line with consensus | Likely a limited market reaction, since the print confirms the existing trend | Inflation is behaving roughly as economists expected, so little changes for policy or markets |
| Below consensus | May add to expectations of further PBOC easing or fiscal support, weighing on the yuan | Weak or falling prices point to soft consumer spending, which can be a warning sign for the broader economy |
These are possible market reactions described by analysts, not predictions. Actual moves depend on other data released the same week, including producer prices and trade figures.
Why does this release matter right now?
China’s inflation has run well below the government’s informal target of around 3% for an extended period, with headline CPI hovering close to zero for much of 2026. Xinhua reported that the July slowdown in year-on-year CPI growth was driven mainly by a slower increase in gasoline prices, while falling pork and other food prices have also weighed on the index for much of the year. Weak consumer prices have kept alive debate among economists about whether China is at risk of a deflationary spiral, which would make it harder for households and businesses to pay down debt in real terms.
The PBOC has generally kept policy accommodative in response, and further soft CPI readings could reinforce expectations of additional rate cuts or targeted stimulus for consumption. That matters well beyond China’s borders: soft Chinese demand affects commodity exporters in Australia, Latin America and Africa, and slower Chinese import demand can weigh on export-driven economies across Asia and parts of Europe.
What It Means for Your Money
Mortgages and interest rates: Weak Chinese inflation does not directly change UK, US or eurozone mortgage rates, but it feeds into global growth expectations, which central banks factor into their own decisions.
Savings: If Chinese demand weakens further, it can pull down global energy and commodity prices, which sometimes helps keep inflation, and therefore savings rates, lower in other economies too.
Jobs and wages: Multinational companies with significant China exposure, from carmakers to luxury goods and mining firms, can see earnings affected by shifts in Chinese consumer spending, which occasionally flows through to hiring and wage decisions elsewhere.
Prices at home: Because China is a major global manufacturer, sustained weak demand there can mean cheaper imported goods for consumers in Europe, the US and elsewhere, while a rebound could nudge import prices up.
Investments, pensions and currencies: Investors holding China-exposed funds, emerging market funds or commodity producers may see volatility around this release. A weaker-than-expected reading has historically put pressure on the Chinese yuan and can spill over into other Asian currencies and risk sentiment more broadly.
Related events
- Previous release: China CPI for August 2026 data
- China’s Producer Price Index (PPI), typically released alongside CPI, which measures wholesale-level inflation
- China trade balance and PMI data, published in the days around the CPI release each month
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the China CPI released?
The September 2026 CPI report is released at 9:30 am China Standard Time on October 14, 2026, which is 9:30 pm ET and 2:30 am in London the same day.
How do I read the China CPI report?
Focus on the year-on-year headline figure for the overall inflation trend, and the core CPI (excluding food and energy) for a cleaner view of underlying demand, since food prices in China can swing sharply from month to month.
Does China CPI affect interest rates outside China?
Not directly, but persistently weak Chinese inflation can weigh on global commodity prices and growth expectations, which other central banks, including the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, take into account.
Where can I find the official release?
The National Bureau of Statistics of China publishes the report in Chinese and English on its official website, stats.gov.cn.
When is the next China CPI report due?
The October 2026 CPI data is expected to follow the usual pattern, published in mid-November 2026, though the exact date will be confirmed by the NBS closer to the time.