Retail inflation falls to 6.77% in Oct: Govt data

New Delhi: Retail inflation dropped to 6.77 per cent in October from 7.41 per cent in the preceding month, mainly due to easing prices in the food basket, though it remained above Reserve Bank's comfort level for the 10th month in a row, according to the government data released on Monday.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation has remained above the 6 per cent target since January this year.

As per the latest data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the inflation in the food basket was 7.01 per cent in October as against 8.6 per cent in September.

Egg prices dipped (-)0.18 per cent on-year in October while oils and fats declined 2.15 per cent. There was no change in the sugar and confectionery segment.

On the other hand, vegetables rose 7.77 per cent on year last month, cereals and products climbed 12.08 per cent and spices saw a rise of 18.02 per cent. Milk and products rose 7.69 per cent and meat and fish prices inched 3.08 per cent while that of fruits rose 5.20 per cent.

Apart from food and beverages, the fuel and light segment rose 9.93 per cent, clothing and footwear gained 10.16 per cent and the housing segment inched up 4.58 per cent.

The retail inflation, which the RBI factors in while deciding its periodic monetary policy, was 4.48 per cent in October 2021.

As the RBI failed to ensure inflation remains at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side for three consecutive quarters, it has sent a report to the government detailing the reasons for the failure and steps it is taking to bring CPI in the target range.

Another set of data released earlier in the day revealed that the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation dipped to a 19-month low of 8.39 per cent in October on easing prices of food, fuel and manufactured items.