China's urban residents are generally satisfied with the present prices of goods and their expectations for future prices are optimistic, according to the latest survey conducted by the People's Bank of China.

The survey of urban residents with deposits in the first quarter showed that the satisfaction index was minus 9.1 percent, up 3.3 percent over the previous quarter.

Of the people surveyed, 22.1 percent said that "prices are too high to be accepted", down 2.4 percent from the previous quarter, and 13 percent thought that prices were "satisfactory", up 0.9 percent.

The survey also showed that people were generally optimistic about future prices. Up to 28.8 percent of the interviewees predicted that prices would rise, down 12.9 percent from the previous quarter, and down 0.4 percent from the previous year.

10 percent believe that prices would drop, up 5.7 percent from the previous quarter, and up 0.3 percent from last year.

The satisfaction index in relation to current incomes increased by 7.8 percent to 22.1 percent, and the confidence index for future incomes reduced by 2.5 percent to 19 percent, up 1.8 percent from the previous year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2006)