Retail inflation rate recorded at 6.09 per cent in October 2026

Retail inflation in India was recorded at 6.09 per cent for October 2026. According to recent data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), this inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 6.09 per cent in October from the September 2026 level of 5.54 per cent. This data has been prepared on the base year 2024 (Base Year 2024=100).

Provisional figures for October 2026 show that the inflation rate in rural areas stood at 6.63 per cent, while in urban areas, this rate was recorded at 5.41 per cent. In September 2026, rural inflation was 6.08 per cent and urban inflation was 4.88 per cent. Thus, an increase in the inflation rate has been observed in both rural and urban sectors.

A significant surge has also been observed in food inflation. According to the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), annual food inflation in October 2026 stood at 8.94 per cent. This rate was 7.74 per cent in September 2026. Food inflation was recorded at 9.09 per cent in rural areas and 8.68 per cent in urban areas.

Looking at the changes in the prices of various commodities, a sharp increase was seen in the prices of onion and garlic. In October 2026, onion inflation was 116.22 per cent and garlic inflation was 60.74 per cent. Additionally, a 47.30 per cent increase was recorded in the price of lemon. On the other hand, a decrease of 14.24 per cent in the price of potato and a decrease of 10.57 per cent in the price of cauliflower were observed. A decrease was also noted in the prices of cabbage and brinjal, which stood at 1.92 per cent and 3.34 per cent respectively.

Looking at the figures according to various sectors, inflation in the 'food and beverages' sector stood at 8.51 per cent. Inflation of 10.06 per cent was recorded in 'restaurant and housing services' and 10.14 per cent in 'personal care, social security and miscellaneous'. Inflation in the clothing and footwear sector was 4.96 per cent, while inflation of 4.02 per cent was seen in education services and 2.05 per cent in health services.

To collect this information, data was obtained from 1,407 urban markets and 1,465 villages across the country by the NSO. During October 2026, the response rate for this survey was 100 per cent. The Ministry has clarified that the reference period for the prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG is the 15th of that month. The CPI data for the upcoming month, i.e., November 2026, will be released on 14 December 2026.

The government has cautioned that care should be taken while using state-wise commodity indices, as in some cases these figures may be based on very thin samples. The index and inflation rates at all levels have been prepared using actual values, although the published figures have been rounded off to two decimal places.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is an important tool to measure the changes over time in the prices of goods and services purchased by consumers. It is considered the main benchmark for understanding the level of inflation in the country. In India, the compilation and publication of these figures are carried out by the National Statistical Office, which plays a guiding role for the government in formulating economic policies and taking steps to control inflation. This index includes various essential services and goods such as food, clothing, housing, education, and health, which affect the cost of living of the common citizen.