BEIJING, April 4 -- Most of the capital goods monitored by China's statistics authorities registered price decreases from mid-March to the end of March, official data shows.

Of the 50 major goods classified in nine categories, including seamless steel tubes, gasoline and fertilizer, 31 saw price declines and 19 reported heightened prices in the period, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Hog prices increased 3.4 percent, the NBS said.

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