Chinese housing inventory numbers

The chart below shows actual housing inventory figures for tier 1 and tier 2 Chinese cities. The are from top to bottom: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, (subtotal); Nanjing, Suzhou, Xiamen, Dongguan, Fuzhou, (subtotal); Total.

The numbers are homes measured in 万，or units of 10,000. For example, Beijing saw housing inventory increase by 31,800 units between March 2011 and March 2012. The total for all listed cities shows an increase of 41% between the two periods.

The middle figure is the 2012 year-end inventory. Beijing has started reducing inventory, but the average for all the listed cities shows an increase, albeit a very small one.

The accompanying article (linked below) goes on to detail the government's plans to help ease the inventory onto the market, which is to restrict advance sale permits. That will help keep inventory off the market, but it will also strain the financial position of developers who need to move property fast to recoup capital.

传政府欲动刀库存房 销售超7成才可推新房源