China’s annual inflation rate for September 2026 was reported at 0.9%. The figure came in below the market forecast of 1%. It was higher than the previous period’s reading of 0.8%.
What the figure measures
The annual inflation rate tracks how much consumer prices have risen over a twelve-month span. A reading of 0.9% means prices are on average about 0.9% higher than a year earlier, so it describes a slow pace of price growth. The release was published at 14 Oct 2026 01:30 GMT.
Against the forecast, the reading was below expectations. Against the previous period, it was higher, so the two comparisons point in different directions. Economists generally watch the gap to forecast and the change from the previous period together when judging a release of this kind.
In markets the same day, US annual inflation stood at 3.4% for the August 2026 reading, a separate monthly figure that covers a different country and period.
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Data: FRED — St. Louis Fed
