People buy fresh vegetables at a supermarket in Pingyi County, east China's Shandong Province, April 10, 2026. (Photo by Wu Jiquan/Xinhua)

　　BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China's consumer inflation extended its moderate recovery in April, supported by robust spring travel demand and rising energy prices, in a sign that domestic demand continues to improve and the broader economic recovery remains on track.

　　The country's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 1.2 percent year on year in April, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.

　　The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, also increased 1.2 percent from a year earlier, data showed.

　　On a monthly basis, the CPI climbed 0.3 percent in April, reversing a 0.7-percent decline in March and exceeding the seasonal level by 0.4 percentage points.

　　Dong Lijuan, an NBS statistician, attributed the increase partly to stronger travel demand during the Qingming Festival holiday, the May Day holiday, and spring breaks in some regions, citing a 3.7 percent year-on-year rise in travel-related service prices last month.

　　Meanwhile, prices of industrial consumer goods rose 3.5 percent, with gasoline and gold jewelry recording particularly notable increases, Dong said.

　　Moreover, service prices also rose 0.9 percent year on year in April, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month. Among them, prices for medical and education services increased 3.4 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, according to Dong.