The per capita disposable income for Chinese urbanites increased 14.4 percent to 8,065 yuan (about US$1,182) in the first six months over the same period in 2007, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday.

The inflation-adjusted increase ratio should be 6.3 percent year on year, according to the NBS's sampling survey based on statistics from 65,000 households in the urban areas.

The country's consumer price index (CPI), a major gauge of inflation, rose 7.9 percent in the first half. It hit a 12-year high of 8.7 percent in February.

Per capita expenditure was 5,490 yuan in the first half, up 13.7 percent over the same period last year; the inflation-adjusted increase ratio was 5.7 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2008)