LONDON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Britain's inflation rate climbed more sharply than expected to 2.3 percent in February, up from 1.8 percent in January, according to figures released by the Consumer Price Index Tuesday.
Having maintained a steady increase since late 2015, the inflation rate experienced an unexpected surge in February, the highest jump since September 2013, said the Office for National Statistics.
Rising transport cost, particularly for fuel, was the main contributor to the increase.
Prices for food increased by 0.3 percent between February 2016 and February 2017, following 31 consecutive months of price falling on the year.
The Brexit vote last June prompted a steep fall in the value of the pound, making imported goods more expensive.
The Bank of England expects inflation to peak at 2.8 percent in 2018.
