BEIJING, Jan. 24 -- Prices of the capital goods monitored by the Chinese government were lower in mid-January compared with early January, official data showed Wednesday.

Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline, coal, fertilizer, and some chemicals, seven reported higher prices in the period, 39 saw price declines, while the prices of four remained unchanged, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

During the period, hog prices went down 1.4 percent, according to the NBS data.

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.