BEIJING -- China's consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, is estimated to grow by about 1.4 percent in December from a year earlier, the latest report from the Bank of Communications said.

The National Bureau of Statistics is expected to release the December CPI data next week.

China's CPI rose by 1.4 percent year on year in November, the slowest increase since November 2009, when it rose 0.6 percent, according to the NBS.

Stable food prices since the beginning of December may cause the December CPI growth to stay flat compared with last month, as food prices account for nearly one-third of the CPI, according to the bank.

China's farm produce prices in 36 large and medium-sized cities edged up slightly in the week ending Dec 21, with the average price of 18 vegetables going up 1.2 percent in the time period and the prices of mutton and beef rising 0.5 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively, according to the Commerce Ministry.

The BOC predicted that the CPI growth in 2015 will be lower than 2014 due to a slower economy and a steady monetary policy next year.