India’s annual retail inflation remained static in September with a marginal drop in the food prices, official data showed on Thursday.
According to the data furnished by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, September’s consumer price index (CPI) inflation remained static at 3.28% as compared to August.
On a sequential basis, the country’s Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) dropped to 1.25% during the month under review when compared to 1.52% in August 2017.
However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the country’s September retail inflation was lower than the 4.39% CPI rate reported for the corresponding month of last year.
The YoY CPI dropped to 3.44% in urban areas and 3.15% in rural areas in September as compared to 3.64% and 5.04% respectively in the corresponding period last year.
As per the ministry’s data, retail inflation on a YoY basis fell due to a fall in the prices of food items like pulses, eggs and spices.
The data on a YoY basis showed that vegetables in September became costly by 3.92%, while cereals prices rose by 3.70%.
Other notable categories such as milk-based products became dearer by 3.87% and meat and fish recorded a rise of 3.19%.
Food and beverages during the month under consideration recorded a rise of 1.76% over the same month last year.
Among non-food categories, the ‘fuel and light’ segment’s inflation rate accelerated to 5.56% in September.
[“source=hindustantimes”]
