May 21 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's composite consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.6 percent in the year through April, the government said on Thursday.
Eight analysts in a Reuters survey had expected the data to show a gain of 0.9 percent.
The underlying inflation rate for April, which excludes the impact of government waivers on public housing and services, was 1.9 percent.
For the three-month period ended April 2009, the monthly average rate of composite CPI was down a seasonally adjusted 0.1 percent, versus virtually nil in the January to March period.
Hong Kong consumer prices (percent change): Percent change from a year earlier
2009 2009 2008
Apr Mar Apr Composite CPI 0.6 1.2 5.4 CPI (A) -0.2 0.5 5.5 CPI (B) 0.9 1.3 5.5 CPI (C) 1.2 1.7 5.2 Percent change from previous month
2009 2009 2008
Apr Mar Apr Composite CPI 0.1 0.3 0.6 CPI (A) -0.2 0.4 0.5 CPI (B) 0.1 0.3 0.5 CPI (C) 0.3 0.3 0.7
The composite CPI is based on the combined expenditure pattern of households covered by the three CPIs.
CPI (A), Hong Kong's broadest measure of inflation, is based on the 50 percent of households spending between HK$4,000 and HK$15,499 per month as of the fiscal 2004/2005 base year.
CPI (B) is based on the 30 percent of households that spend HK$15,500 to HK$27,499 per month as of the 2004/2005 fiscal year base.
CPI (C), published by Hang Seng Bank Ltd., is based on the 10 percent of households spending HK$27,500 to HK$59,999 as of the 2004/2005 fiscal year base. (Reporting by Raymond Leung; Editing by Chris Lewis)