PHNOM PENH, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate has gradually increased to 6.7 percent in September, up from 6.4 percent in August and 6.2 percent in July, showed the latest statistics of the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) on Wednesday.

"The main increase for all index group 6.7 percent rate of inflation in September this year was due to the group of food and non-alcoholic beverage, clothing and footwear, housing, electricity, gas, other fuels, transport, and miscellaneous goods and services," the report highlighted.

It said from August to September this year, the prices for food continued to increase by 1.5 percent, the price of meat increased by 2.5 percent, the price of fish and seafood increased by 1.1 percent, the price of vegetables rose five percent, the price for fruits up 4.8 percent.

Also, the prices for transport and petroleum had increased by one percent and 1.9 percent respectively.

Gasoline is the main item fueling month-on-month rise in inflation in Cambodia, a liter of gasoline in Cambodia costs 1.34 U.S. dollars on Wednesday, seven percent rise from 1.25 U.S. dollars in January.

Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Keat Chhon, minister of finance, said Tuesday at the 2011 Trade and Investment Conference that the annual inflation in 2011 would be maintained at around 5. 5 percent.

In April, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank forecast the country's inflation rate this year could be at 6.5 percent, five percent and 5.5 percent respectively.