HONG Kong's overall consumer prices rose 3.1 percent in December over a year earlier, larger than the corresponding increase of 2.9 percent recorded in November, its Census and Statistics Department said yesterday.

Netting out the effects of all government one-off relief measures, the annual rate of increase in the Composite Consumer Price Index in December was 2.8 percent, larger than that in November, mainly due to higher private housing rents and the cost of outside meals.

For 2010, the index was on average 2.4 percent higher than in the preceding 12-month period.