Inflation in Hong Kong increased for a seventh consecutive month in May, due to continued pass-through of higher private residential rentals and higher food costs, the Census and Statistics Department said Tuesday.

Inflation jumped to 5.2 percent in May from 4.6 percent in April. The figure matched economists' forecast.

The underlying inflation rate, which excludes effects of government's one-off measures, advanced to 5.1 percent from 4.4 percent in the previous month.

In seasonally adjusted terms, the average rate of increase in the consumer price index for the three-months ended May was 0.6 percent, compared to 0.7 percent increase in three months to April.

A government spokesperson said that inflation is likely to go up further in the coming months, due to higher price pressures from both the external and domestic economic conditions. Food costs increased 7 percent annually in May, while housing costs were 6.1 percent higher than a year earlier. Transport charges increased 4.8 percent from last year.

RTTNews