Retail inflation rises to 5.54% in September, highest in 23 months
Food inflation stood at 7.74% as retail inflation hit its highest level in 23 months, with rural prices rising faster than urban ones.
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India's retail inflation for September 2026, released on Monday, rose to 5.54 per cent, the highest in the past 23 months. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures retail inflation.
Food prices had the biggest impact. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), was 7.74 per cent, well above overall inflation. Costlier cereals and other food items kept pressure on headline inflation.
The effect was visible in both villages and cities. Rural retail inflation rose to 6.08 per cent in September, while urban inflation was 4.88 per cent. Food inflation was recorded at 8.06 per cent in rural areas and 7.18 per cent in urban areas.
Among other categories, housing inflation rose from 2.61 per cent in August to 2.74 per cent in September. Inflation in clothing and other items, which was 3.56 per cent last month, has now reached 3.93 per cent.
At a glance, overall retail inflation was 5.54 per cent, food inflation 7.74 per cent, rural inflation 6.08 per cent and urban inflation 4.88 per cent. Housing inflation stood at 2.74 per cent and inflation in clothing and other items at 3.93 per cent.
The latest figures are based on the All-India Consumer Price Index, with 2024 as the base year. The figures are provisional and reflect changes in prices in both rural and urban markets.
According to MoSPI, price data was collected from 1,407 urban markets across states and Union Territories, including online markets. Prices were also collected from 1,465 villages. The response rate in both rural and urban markets in September was 100 per cent.
The next set of figures is awaited. CPI inflation data for October 2026 will be released on November 12. If that day is a holiday, it will be released on the next working day.
