BEIJING — China’s consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, grew 1.9 percent year on year in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on July 10.

The June data slowed from a 2-percent growth registered in May and dropped for the second consecutive month from 2.3 percent in April, when the CPI reached the highest level since July 2014.

The CPI grew 2.1 percent in the first half of 2016, while the annual target was set around 3 percent.

On a month-on-month basis, the CPI declined 0.1 percent in June.

NBS statistician Yu Qiumei attributed the moderated inflation mostly to eased food prices.

Food, cigarette and liquor prices increased 3.7 percent year on year in June, slowing from 4.7 percent in May.

Since January, CPI has been calculated using a new comparison base and included more products and services and slightly reduced the weight of food.