China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.9 percent in February year-on-year, an increase of 1.8 percent over that in January, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Friday.

In a monthly report, the bureau said that CPI in urban and rural areas in February grew 3.6 percent and 4.5 percent.

NBS figures indicate that in February, the prices of food rose 8.8 percent, while those of non-food items, consumption products and services grew 1.4 percent, 3.9 percent and 4.2 percent.

Grain prices surged 11.6 percent in February year-on-year, leading the price hike of food items followed by those of eggs at 16.3 percent, meat and poultry at 14.9 percent and sea food at 15.9 percent and vegetables at 13.1 percent while the prices of edible oil dipped 1.4 percent, the figures show.

Meanwhile, the prices of clothing were down 1.9 percent, household apparatus and maintenance services, 0.8 percent; medical care, 0.7 percent and transportation and communications, 0.6 percent.

In February, the price of housing rose 5.6 percent, with utilities up 10.5 percent and rental charges up 2.2 percent.

The CPI in February was affected to some extent by the Spring Festival, which was on February 9 this year. CPI in the first two months of 2005 rose 2.9 percent over the same period last year.