BEIJING, Sept. 10 -- China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, climbed to 2 percent in August, the highest level seen in 2015, official data showed on Thursday.

The figure was up from market forecast rises of 1.9 percent and 1.6 percent in July.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices in August rose 0.5 percent, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

NBS statistician Yu Qiumei attributed the pick-up to higher prices of food, including vegetables and pork.

Producer price index, which measures wholesale inflation, slid 5.9 percent year on year in August, according to the NBS.

The government aims to keep consumer inflation at around 3 percent for 2015.