Consumer prices in China were up 1.0 percent on year in February, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.
That was shy of expectations for an increase of 1.9 percent and down sharply from the 2.1 percent gain in January.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices slumped 0.5 percent versus forecasts for an increase of 0.2 percent after climbing 0.8 percent in the previous month.
The bureau also said that producer prices dropped 1.4 percent on year versus expectations for a decline of 1.3 percent after sinking 0.8 percent a month earlier.
