Japan's core consumer price index fell 0.4% in February from a year earlier, weighed down by cheap electricity bills, but at a slower pace following a recent rise in energy prices, government data showed Friday.

Nationwide core consumer prices, excluding volatile fresh food items, dropped for the seventh straight month after declining 0.6% in January, according to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry.

The latest data showed the country's CPI remained under downward pressure, far below the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target.