Chief economist of the Office for National Statistics Grant Fitzner said: “After last month’s slowdown, annual inflation was unchanged.”
“The largest upwards driver was the price of clothing, which rose this month but fell a year ago.
“This was offset by falls in petrol costs, with prices collected before the start of the conflict in the Middle East and subsequent rise in crude oil prices.”
The ONS said clothing and footwear prices rose by 0.9% in the 12 months to February compared to no change in price in the 12 months to January.
Meanwhile, discounted alcohol pushed inflation down, the ONS said, adding that alcohol and tobacco saw their lowest recorded inflation rate since February 2022.