BEIJING, Jan. 5 -- Most of the capital goods in China posted lower prices in late December compared with mid-December of 2022, official data shows.

Of the 50 goods monitored by the government, which include seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer and some agricultural products mainly used for processing, 31 posted lower prices, 15 saw price rises and four remained unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Hog prices dropped 7.7 percent in late December to 16.8 yuan (about 2.44 U.S. dollars) per km, NBS data shows.

The figures, released every 10 days, are based on a survey of nearly 2,000 wholesalers and distributors in 31 provincial-level regions across the country.