China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, grew 1.9% year on year in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Sunday. 
The June data slowed from a 2-percent growth registered in May and dropped for the second consecutive month from 2.3% in April, when the CPI reached the highest level since July 2014, Xinhua news agency reported. 
The CPI grew 2.1% in the first half of 2016, while the annual target was set around 3%. 
On a month-on-month basis, the CPI declined 0.1% in June. 
NBS statistician Yu Qiumei attributed the moderated inflation mostly to eased food prices. 
Food, cigarette and liquor prices increased 3.7 percent year on year in June, slowing from 4.7% in May. 
Since January, CPI has been calculated using a new comparison base and included more products and services and slightly reduced the weight of food