(Yicai Global) Jan. 15 -- China’s urban property prices made moderate gains again last month, particularly in big and mid-sized cities, according to official data.

The average price of a new home in the four largest cities -- Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou -- gained 3.9 percent in December from a year earlier, figures the National Bureau of Statistics released today showed. They had risen 4 percent in November.

Prices have been climbing at an average month-on-month rate of 0.3 percent in those four first-tier cities. The value of existing homes jumped 8.6 percent from a year ago, 0.3 percentage point more than in November.

New residential property prices in China’s 31 second-tier, or medium-sized, cities rose 4 percent on the year, while secondhand homes gained 2.2 percent. The 35 smaller cities logged a 3.5 percent increase in new home prices and a 1.4 percent rise for existing units.

Their respective month-on-month gains were lower than in the four largest cities, the NBS said.

Editor: Kim Taylor