Rising food prices pushed up inflation to an 11-year high in January, dampening speculation that the government might ease its austerity measures.

The consumer price index (CPI), the main yardstick to measure inflation, grew 7.1 percent year-on-year in January, after rising 6.5 percent in December, the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday.

Food prices, which account for one-third of the CPI basket, surged 18.2 percent in January, led by a 58.8 percent and 41.2 percent year-on-year rise in pork and poultry prices.