Singapore, March 25 -- Singapore's core inflation declined for the fifth straight month in February after falling sharply in January as most spending categories saw smaller year-on-year price increases.

Prices also fell for two categories - electricity and gas, and retail and other goods - the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said in their joint report on March 24.

Economists said Singapore's inflation will continue to ease in the months ahead, with a chance that consumer prices might even drop if the global economy takes a sharp turn downwards.

For February, core inflation, which excludes private transport and accommodation costs to better reflect the expenses of households here, eased...