Inflation in Mexico sped up in January, data from the national statistics agency showed on Monday, supporting the central bank's decision last week to hold its interest rate as it sees inflation taking longer to reach the bank's target. Consumer prices rose 3.79% in the year through January, above December's rate of 3.69% and slightly under the 3.82% forecast by analysts polled by Reuters. The closely watched core index, which strips out highly volatile prices, rose to 4.52% up from 4.33% in December and the highest level since March 2024.