China consumer prices up 1.9 per cent in June

China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, grew 1.9 per cent year on year in June, the National Bureau of Statistics announced on Sunday.

The June data slowed from a two per cent growth registered in May and dropped for the second consecutive month from 2.3 per cent in April, when the CPI reached the highest level since July 2014, Xinhua reported.

The CPI grew 2.1 per cent in the first half of 2016, while the annual target was set around three per cent.

On a month-on-month basis, the CPI declined 0.1 per cent in June.

NBS statistician Yu Qiumei attributed the moderated inflation mostly to eased food prices.

Food, cigarette and liquor prices increased 3.7 per cent year on year in June, slowing from 4.7 per cent in May.

Since January, CPI has been calculated using a new comparison base and included more products and services and slightly reduced the weight of food.

--IANS

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