BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- China's consumer prices rose 3.2 percent in January compared with the same month last year, China Daily reported Saturday.

    January's consumer price index (CPI), policymaker's key inflation gauge, remained at the same level as last December, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

    Urban consumer prices rose a year-on-year 2.5 percent in January, while that in rural areas rose 4.4 percent.

    Qi Jingmei, a senior economist with the State Information Center, said the higher CPI in January was mainly because of soaring food prices.

    The cost of food rose a year-on-year 8 percent in the month, the statistics bureau said.

    Higher prices for services, which rose a year-on-year 2.9 percent in January, and higher prices for consumer goods, which rose 3.2 percent, also contributed to the CPI rise in January, Qi said. Enditem