Inflation rose from 3.2% in the year to November and was higher than forecast of 3.3%.
The Bank of England’s rate-setting committee will meet on 5 February.
Michael Saunders, a former rate-setter at the Bank, said the increase “is not the start of a new upward trend, it reflects a variety of fairly temporary erratic factors”.
He said it was unlikely the Bank would reduce borrowing costs in February but expects it to announce “gradual” cuts this year.
“The reason they can’t cut quickly is because inflation and pay growth are still too high for comfort,” he said.
During December the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which published the data, said airfares was a big contributor to inflation “because of the timing of return flights over the Christmas and New Year period”.
Tobacco prices grew largely due to duty rises announced in the Budget on 26 November.
The ONS’s chief economist Grant Fitzner added that “rising food costs, particularly for bread and cereals, were also an upward driver” to inflation.
In response to the figures, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said her priority was cutting the cost of living, citing measures in Budget including a freeze to rail fares and prescription charges.
“There’s more to do,” she said. “But this is the year that Britain turns a corner.”
However shadow chancellor Mel Stride blamed the rise on what he called the government’s “economic mismanagement”.
He said: “A record-high tax burden and irresponsible borrowing are stifling growth and fuelling inflation – leaving working people worse off.”
The data revealed that some elements of inflation eased in December such as rents.
Housing and household services, which measures rents, slowed to 4.9% compared to a 5.1% rise in the 12 months to November.