The consumer price index (CPI) fell to a 10-month low of 6.3 percent in July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday.

The third consecutive monthly drop of the CPI, the barometer of inflation, will give the government more leeway to maintain steady growth and adjust energy prices, analysts said.

They attributed the fall to moderating food price inflation, thanks to a good grain harvest in summer and the government's steps to boost agricultural production.