Washington - US inflation inched up in February by 0.2%, ending three straight months of decline due to plummeting petrol costs, according to a government report Tuesday.
The seasonally adjusted increase in consumer prices reflected a 1% rise in the petrol index. Rises in food and shelter costs also contributed to the overall increase.
Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices, also rose 0.2 in February, the same as in January. The core inflation rate is 1.7% for the last 12 months.