Hong Kong’s consumer price index grew faster at 1.7 percent in February from a year ago, compared to 1.1 percent in January, higher than the market expectation of 1.5 percent, government data showed.
Except for the effects of all governments' one-off relief measures, underlying composite consumer price indices increased by 1.6 percent year-on-year, larger than January's 1 percent, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
The increase was mainly due to the increases in the charges for package tours as well as inbound and outbound transport fares during the Chinese New Year, coupled with the fact that the Chinese New Year fell in January last year, resulting in a relatively lower base of comparison in February 2025, the department said.
Looking ahead, as international oil prices have surged since the end of February amid the heightened geopolitical tensions, the import price pressures for specific fuel-related items have increased, a government spokesman said, adding that the government is monitoring the external developments closely and will respond as appropriate to safeguard price stability.
