August Figures CPI and PPI The consumer price index (CPI),a barometer of inflation,grew 6.2 percent in August from a year ago,0.3 percentage points down from July,said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).The figure was still well above the government-set target of 4 percent for the year.The biggest driver of the CPI was still food prices,up 13.4 percent in August over the same month last year.Pork prices,in particular,skyrocketed 45.5 percent.Residential costs climbed 5.5 percent,down 0.4 percentage points from July.