MACAO, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Macao's average composite consumer price index (CPI) increased 1.23 percent year-on-year to 109.56, down further from 2.37 percent in 2016, the special administrative region's statistics service said on Tuesday.

The latest report issued by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) said higher charges for eating out and outpatient services, rising tuition fees and higher prices of footwear pushed up the annual inflation rate by 0.92 percentage points.

Analyzed by section, price indices of Education (6.32 percent), Health (4.42 percent) and Transport (3.75 percent) registered notable increases, while those of Communication, Housing and Fuel decreased 4.68 percent and 0.79 percent respectively.

The DSEC report also said the composite CPI in December 2017 rose by 2.04 percent year-on-year to 111.08, the highest increase in 2017 and the largest growth since July 2016. The rise was attributable to dearer charges for eating out and outpatient services, rising prices of footwear, as well as higher parking meter rates and tuition fees.

The average composite CPI for the fourth quarter of 2017 (110.54) increased by 1.76 percent year-on-year, it added.