China's consumer price index, key inflation index, rose by 1.4 percent year-on-year in October, said a report from the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.

 

CPI for the first ten months rose 1.3 percent year-on-year, 0.6 percentage point lower compared with the same period last year, according to the report.

 

Food prices increased by 2.2 percent while prices for non-food items were up one percent in October. The prices of consumer goods went up 1.4 percent and services saw a gain of 1.5 percent.

 

In breakdown, grain prices rose by 3.7 percent, and prices of car fuels and auto parts gained 12.1 percent, while expenses of water and electricity went up 4.5 percent in October.

 

Prices of telecommunication saw a sharp drop of 17.5 percent while transportation went down 2.4 percent, said the report.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2006)