Consumer prices in China fell last month for the first time since January 2024, official data show. Authorities in the world's second-largest economy continue to struggle to boost domestic consumption.

The decline comes at a time when Beijing is trying to boost domestic consumption, which has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic.

The consumer price index (CPI) - a key gauge of inflation - fell 0.7% year-on-year in February, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This result represents a larger decline than the 0.4% that was forecast in a Bloomberg survey.

Moreover, February's decline completely erased the 0.5% rise recorded in January, when surging spending during the Lunar New Year led to the highest inflation in months.

"This was mainly due to factors such as the difference in the month of (the Lunar New Year), the holiday days and fluctuations in the prices of some major international commodities," said Dong Liquan of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in an official statement. | BGNES