BEIJING — China continued to see a generally stable housing market in March, with home prices in 70 major cities showing mild month-on-month increases, official data showed on April 16.

New home prices in four first-tier cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou — rose 0.4 percent month-on-month in March, compared with a 0.5-percent increase registered in February, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

A total of 31 second-tier cities saw a month-on-month increase of 0.5 percent in new home prices, while 35 third-tier cities witnessed a month-on-month rise of 0.3 percent in new home prices last month.

The resale home market in first-tier cities saw prices increase 1 percent month-on month in March, edging down 0.1 percentage points from February.

Prices of resale homes in second-tier cities saw a 0.4-percent month-on-month increase, while those in third-tier cities climbed 0.3 percent.

On a year-on-year basis, home prices registered faster expansion due to low base effects, according to the NBS.