Archive · 14 Sep 2026
India Retail Inflation Rises in August as Food Prices Persist
India’s retail inflation rose to 4.82% in August 2026 from 4.45% in July.
Inflation is a measure of how much prices increase.
Food prices were an important reason prices stayed high, with food inflation reaching 5.95%.
Rural areas had higher overall inflation than urban areas, 5.23% versus 4.31%.
Some things became much more expensive, including silver jewellery, ginger, onions and garlic.
Other items, including tomatoes, potatoes and cars, became cheaper than a year earlier.
Restaurants and accommodation also saw prices rise by 8.38%.
Telangana had the highest overall inflation among states with populations above five million, at 6.27%.
India’s CPI-based retail inflation rose to 4.82% in August 2026 from 4.45% in July.
Food inflation increased to 5.95%, with rural food inflation at 6.13% and urban food inflation at 5.64%.
Rural inflation climbed to 5.23%, while urban inflation rose to 4.31%.
Silver jewellery, ginger, onions and garlic recorded some of the sharpest price increases.
Telangana recorded the highest headline inflation among states with populations above five million, at 6.27%.
- Who
- Consumers in India, particularly rural and food-consuming households, were affected by the price increases.
- What
- CPI-based retail inflation increased to 4.82% in August 2026, while food inflation rose to 5.95%.
- When
- August 2026, according to provisional data.
- Where
- India, with inflation reported separately for rural and urban areas and individual states.
- Why
- Higher food prices and increases in selected household, personal-care, restaurant and accommodation categories kept inflation elevated.
- Headline inflation
- 4.82% in August 2026, compared with 4.45% in July.
- Food inflation
- Consumer Food Price Index inflation rose to 5.95% from 5.52%.
- Rural inflation
- 5.23% in August, up from 4.84% in July.
- Urban inflation
- 4.31% in August, up from 3.96% in July.
- Highest state inflation
- Telangana recorded 6.27% among states with populations above five million.
- Largest major-category increase
- Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services reached 15.17% inflation.
- Notable price decline
- Tomato prices recorded inflation of -31.09%.