Residents shop at a market in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei province, March 9, 2014. China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, increased 2 percent year on year in February, down from 2.5 percent in January, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) unveiled on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, increased 2 percent year on year in February, marking easing inflationary pressure since the end of last year, official data showed on Sunday.

The growth rate was down from 2.5 percent in the previous month and appeared to be the lowest level since February 2013, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The slowed CPI increase, in line with market expectations, was mainly attributed to the mild growth of food prices, which account for nearly one-third of the weighting in the calculation of China's CPI.

Analysts predicted mild inflation would be sustained for several months amid economic downward pressure and weak global commodity prices.