Hong Kong's overall consumer prices rose 4.3 percent in May over the same month last year, compared to the corresponding increase of 4.7 percent in April, the city's Census & Statistics Department announced on Thursday.

According to the department, netting out the effects of the government's one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rate of increase in the Composite Consumer Price Index was 5.1 percent, smaller than 5.6 percent figure in April, mainly due to reduced increases in private housing rents.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average monthly rate of increase in the Composite Consumer Price Index from March to May was 0.4 percent, and that for February to April was 0.3 percent.

Taking the first five months together, the Composite Consumer Price Index rose by 4.9 percent over a year earlier.

A government spokesman said that consumer price inflation receded further in May, thanks to the continued ease of food inflation and the narrower increases in private housing rentals. The other major components in the Composite CPI also showed smaller year-on-year price increases in May, reflecting a broad- based easing in inflation pressures.