May. 22, 2013 (China Knowledge) - Hong Kong's composite consumer price index (CPI) increased 4% YoY in April, mainly due to the increase in fresh vegetables price, according to the latest report released by the Census and Statistics Department.

The figure last month was higher than the 3.6% growth it realized in March 2013.

Excluding the effects of the government's one-off relief measures, the city's underlying inflation rate increased to 3.9% in April from 3.7% in March.

Food prices in Hong Kong, which took up one-third of the total CPI, climbed 6.6% last month. The prices of housing, which have one-third weight in the total CPI, rose 5.9% YoY. Meanwhile, there were a YoY increase of 4.3% in the prices of meals bought away from home, 2.1% increase in transport, 2.8% increase in miscellaneous services, 1.2% increase in the prices of clothing and footwear and 4.9% increase in the prices of electricity, gas and water.

The prices of durable goods fell 5.3% YoY in April.

In the first four months of this year, Hong Kong's composite CPI rose by 3.8% over a year earlier.