VIENTIANE, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Lao National Statistics Bureau said inflation remains low in the country despite rising cost of living.

The bureau, a part of the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment, announced recently that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 109.91 points in January, a 0.27 percent change compared to the previous month.

And this change pushed the year-on-year change of the CPI or inflation rate up by 0.97 percent, according to local daily Vientiane Times quoting the bureau's monthly report on Tuesday.

"The year-on-year change in the CPI has remained low with the annual change at 0.97 percent. The low inflation was made possible due to CPI of consumer goods categories, which are base of the inflation rate in the country and has seen a continued contraction," the report said.

Among the data, food and no-alcoholic beverages stayed at 102.3 points in January, at 0.33 percent increase compared to the previous month. The annual CPI change of this consumer category was a 0.49 percent contraction.

The CPI of clothes and shoes saw a month-on-month change at 0.76 percent in January, to stay at 104.95 points. This figure saw a year-on-year change at 2.93 percent; The CPI of housing, water and cooking gas was 103.18 points, with a month-on-month change at 0.15 percent and year-on-year change 2.07 percent.