The consumer price index (CPI) fell 0.3% in January from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said in a separate statement, compared with no change tipped by the Reuters poll and a 0.2% rise in December.
Pork prices, however, were lower than last year, continuing a downward trend after costs of the staple meat in China rocketed due to an African swine fever outbreak.
Since the virus emerged in 2019, China has charged thousands of people with crimes related to the pandemic, including spreading "rumours", concealing an infection and not complying with guidelines.