HONG KONG, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Local consumer prices in April rose 0.6 percent over the same month last year while the underlying inflation rate was 1.9 percent, down on March's 2.6 percent figure, Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong said on Thursday.

    The department said Thursday consumer price inflation eased further in April, mainly due to falls in food prices and private housing rents.

    Inflationary pressures are likely to decrease further in the coming months, which will be an integral part of cost and price adjustments amid the global recession, it added.

    On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average monthly rate of change from February to April was -0.1 percent, and that for the three-month period from January to March was virtually nil.

    Alcohol and tobacco recorded the largest year-on-year price rise at 22.7 percent, followed by housing which was at 5.4 percent, clothing and footwear at 3.5 percent, miscellaneous goods at 2.6 percent, food at 2.2 percent and meals bought away from home at 2.1 percent.

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