ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's annual consumer inflation rate rose to 3.32 per cent in January from 3.19pc in December, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

"The year-on-year inflation increased mainly due to an increase in food prices," said Asif Bajwa, the bureau's chief statistician.

On a month-on-month basis, prices rose by 0.21pc in January from December.

The average annual inflation rate for July 2015-January 2016 over July 2014-January 2015 was 2.26pc.

On Saturday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced that it was leaving the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 6 percent.

Consumer inflation is expected to remain between 3pc and 4pc in the current fiscal year, SBP Governor Ashraf Mahmood Wathra said while making the monetary policy announcement.