The CPI rose only 0.56 percent during the whole of last year, the smallest gain over the past four years, Chiou said. Last month, food costs — which make up 25 percent of the gauge’s total weighting — rose 2.97 percent, driven mainly by fruit and vegetable prices, the report said. Vegetable prices increased 21.97 percent and fruit prices rose 13.01 percent, more than erasing a 14.11 percent decline in egg prices, it said. Education and recreation costs increased 1.12 percent, while medical and healthcare costs rose 1.01 percent, amid rate adjustments by travel agencies and hospitals, the report said. Core CPI — a more reliable monitor of consumer price movements, as it excludes volatile items — added 0.57 percent, a sign that consumer prices are stable, it said.
