China 🇨🇳¶
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Yicai High Frequency Economic Activity Index (YHEI)¶
The Yicai High Frequency Economic Activity Index (YHEI) is a weekly economic indicator published by the Yicai Research Institute. It is designed to provide a real-time pulse on China’s economy by utilizing daily high-frequency data, filling the information gap left by slower, traditional indicators like GDP or monthly industrial output.
Above 1.00: Activity is above the average of the base period (Expansion). Below 1.00: Activity is below the average of the base period (Contraction).
1. What the Index Tracks
The YHEI aggregates daily data points across five key categories to create a comprehensive picture of the economy’s momentum.
🚗 Transportation
Traffic Congestion: Monitors real-time traffic congestion indices in 30 major Chinese cities.
Mobility: Tracks subway ridership and inter-city movement.
⚡ Energy & Environment
Coal Consumption: Measures daily coal usage at major power plants (a strong proxy for industrial electricity demand).
Pollution Levels: Uses environmental data as a secondary proxy for factory activity levels.
🛍️ Consumption & Trade
Real Estate: Tracks real-time data on apartment sales (floor space sold) in key cities.
Freight: Monitors import/export freight costs and logistics volume.
💼 Business & Consumer Confidence
Search Sentiment: Uses internet search engine data for keywords like “unemployment” and “bankruptcy” to gauge economic stress and public sentiment.
2. Analytical Framework
Unlike simple surveys, the YHEI uses a quantitative analytical framework to combine disparate data sources into a single, normalized number.
Normalization: Different units (congestion index, tons of coal, search volume) are normalized to be comparable.
Weighting: Components are weighted based on their correlation with the broader economy.
Baseline: The index is calibrated so that 1.00 represents the average activity level of the comparison year (often 2019 pre-pandemic levels). This allows for instant “recovery” assessment.
3. How It Is Used
The YHEI is a critical tool for “nowcasting” the Chinese economy.
⏱️ Timely Economic Assessment: Provides policymakers and investors with an immediate read on the economy, weeks before official NBS monthly data is released.
🧩 Supplementing Official Data: It fills the gaps between the release of comprehensive but lagging indicators like GDP.
📉 Monitoring Momentum: It is specifically used to identify short-term fluctuations caused by sudden shocks (like lockdowns, policy shifts, or holidays) that might be smoothed out in quarterly reports.
PMIs (Manufacturing & Services)¶
Industrial Production¶
Daily Coal Consumption¶
Thought to be a leading/coincident indicator of growth
Surveys¶
Consumer Surveys¶
Most measures below are quaterly and lagged except Consumer Confidence (the first)
Business Survey¶
Mixed frequency
Cycle Indexes¶
China NBS Macroeconomic Climate Index: An Overview¶
The Macroeconomic Climate Index (宏观经济景气指数) is a composite indicator system published monthly by the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS). Unlike single data points like GDP, this system aggregates multiple indicators to provide a multidimensional view of the economic cycle. It combines hard data (industrial output, investment) with soft survey data (PMI, consumer confidence) and visualizes the result using a simple “Traffic Light” system to signal overheating or recessionary pressures.
Official Page (English): National Bureau of Statistics of China - Macro-Economic Climate Index
1. The Three Component Indices
The system uses the Composite Index Method, grouping varying raw data points based on their timing relative to the broader economy.
🚀 Leading Index (先行指数) - Predicts the Future¶
Function: Anticipates turning points in the economic cycle (peaks and troughs) roughly 3-6 months in advance.
Key Components:
New Orders: From the PMI survey (signals future production).
Money Supply (M2): Signals future liquidity and investment capacity.
Floor Space Started: A proxy for future construction activity and raw material demand.
Consumer Expectations: Sentiment data predicting future consumption.
Export Orders: Signals future external demand.
⏱️ Coincident Index (一致指数) - Measures the Present¶
Function: Reflects the current state of the economy. This index generally moves in sync with the business cycle.
Key Components:
Value-Added of Industrial Enterprises: The core measure of industrial output.
Social Retail Sales: A primary measure of consumption.
Fixed Asset Investment: Real-time infrastructure and manufacturing investment.
Employment: Surveyed urban unemployment rates.
Electricity Production: A high-frequency proxy for industrial activity.
🐢 Lagging Index (滞后指数) - Confirms the Past¶
Function: Validates that a turning point has passed. It filters out false signals; if this index turns, the cycle has officially shifted.
Key Components:
Inventory of Finished Goods: Tends to peak after demand has already collapsed.
CPI / PPI: Inflation often reacts to economic heat/cooling with a delay.
Corporate Profits: Recognized and reported after economic activity occurs.
2. Data Composition: Hard vs. Soft Data
The indices are constructed using a weighted combination of two types of data sources.
| Data Type | Description | Examples in Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hard Data | Quantitative, measured statistics derived from reporting. | Industrial Output, Retail Sales, M2 Money Supply, Inventory Levels, Electricity Usage. |
| Soft Data | Qualitative, sentiment-based indicators derived from surveys. | PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index), Consumer Confidence Index, Business Climate Surveys. |
Note: The Coincident Index relies heavily on Hard Data (actual output), while the Leading Index relies more on Soft Data (expectations and orders).
