Entertainment-tourism saw the highest CPI increase with 3 percent, followed food with 2.66 percent.

Other categories increased slightly such as household furnishings and appliances (by 0.23 percent), and medicine and health services (by 0.21 percent). Post and telecommunications decreased by 1.3 percent.

The average price of gold on fell by 1.94 percent and the price of the US dollar was down by 0.28 percent.

As part of advanced preparations, stores, trade centres and supermarket chains stockpiled sufficient goods to stabilise market prices during Tet.

In Hanoi, the CPI was up by 2.61 percent over last month and 9.69 percent compared to the same period in 2009.

Food, beverages and tobacco, water and electricity, fuel and construction materials, and household furnishings and appliances, fluctuated between 2.28 percent and 4.24 percent.

Medicine and health services, transport, entertainment-tourism, education, and footwear and garments experienced increases, between from 0.03 percent and 1.97 percent.  

Post and telecommunication was the only category seeing price reductions of 1.3 percent. Fruit prices more than doubled during Tet.      

The prices of gold in HCM City and the US dollar in Hanoi fell by 1.52 percent and 0.22 percent, respectively.