The National Bureau of Statistics said, consumer inflation eased in January from December to a 12-month low due to slower gains in food prices.

Consumer prices were up 1.7% on year in January That was shy of expectations for an increase of 1.9%, which would have been unchanged from the December reading. The food price index in January rose 1.9% from a year earlier, down from December's reading of 2.5%. The moderation in food prices breaks the historic pattern of acceleration that typically precedes the week-long Lunar New Year, which came in the first week of February this year.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices were up 0.5% following the flat reading in December.

Meanwhile, factory-gate inflation slowed for a seventh straight month in January to its weakest pace since September 2016

Producer prices were up 0.1% on year, shy of expectations for an increase of 0.2% and down from 0.9% in the previous month. On a monthly basis, producer prices have already been falling over the past three months. In December, PPI fell 0.6%, moderating from a 1% decrease in December.

Data showed prices for raw materials fell in January for the first time in over two years, swinging from an 0.8% rise in December. Price rises in the production sector also turned negative.