BEIJING, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China's housing market reported narrowed growth last month, official data showed Thursday.

 

In May, 46 out of 70 large and medium-sized cities saw month-on-month increases in new home prices, down from 62 in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

 

New home prices in four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou -- went up 0.1 percent in May, down 0.3 percentage points from that in April.

 

In 31 second-tier cities, prices of new homes gained 0.2 percent, shrinking from the 0.4-percent increase a month earlier. Prices of new homes in 35 third-tier cities came in flat.

 

Compared with May last year, new home prices in first-tier cities and second-tier cities increased 1.7 percent and 0.5 percent respectively, while prices of new homes in third-tier cities decreased 1.6 percent.

 

Home prices in the second-hand market saw a monthly decline in May. Year on year, resale home prices in first-tier cities rose 0.4 percent, while those in second- and third-tier cities reported a slower decline, the data revealed.