London: Driven by a shortage of salad and vegetables, cost of living has unexpectedly jumped up in the UK, media reports said.

Consumer prices in the United Kingdom jumped by 10.4% in February as the country is witnessing the flood inflation to  touch its highest level in more than the past 45 years.

"The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 10.4% in the 12 months to February 2023, up from 10.1% in January," read a statement issued by Office for National Statistics.

On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 1.1% in February 2023, compared with a rise of 0.8% in February 2022.

The largest upward contributions to the annual CPIH inflation rate in February 2023 came from housing and household services (principally from electricity, gas, and other fuels), and food and non-alcoholic beverages, read the statement.