Mexican inflation has reached a yearly pace of nearly 6.6 percent, the quickest in seven years.

Mexico's central bank says consumer prices rose 0.45 percent in the first two weeks of December, pushed by jumps for cigarettes, tourism packages and airline tickets.

Inflation hit its highest level in seven years in October and has continued to rise.

Inflation last year was 3.7 percent.

The bank has raised interest rates three times this year to slow inflation, but it kept rates stable at 8.25 percent in October and November to protect the battered peso.

The central bank has forecast inflation to be between 5.5 and 6 percent at the end of the fourth quarter.

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