The consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.34 per cent month-on-month in April but rose 2.81 per cent year-on-year, figures from the General Statistics Office (GSO) show.

The decline was mainly caused by falls in food prices and adjustments to tuition fees in some localities.

Prices of seven of the eleven groups of consumer goods and services in the CPI basket declined. A 0.38 per cent fall in the price of food and catering services caused a decline of 0.13 percentage points, while education recorded the sharpest fall, of 1.3 per cent.

The index rose 3.84 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of the year.

According to the GSO, core inflation rose 0.13 per cent in April against March and 4.56 per cent year-on-year.