India’s Retail Inflation Climbs to 3.21% in February

India’s retail inflation rose to 3.21% in February, up from a revised 2.74% in January. This is according to government data released on 12th March.

Food inflation increased to 3.47% in February, up from 2.13% the previous month, contributing to the overall price rise.

The data reflect a revised Consumer Price Index (CPI) series. The base year was updated to 2024 from 2012. The number of items in the consumption basket increased to 358 from 299 previously.

The updated series also shows prices rising for four straight months. The CPI index stood at 104.57 in February. This is slightly higher than 104.46 in January.

A key change in the revised basket is the reduced weight of food, which has fallen below 40%. Meanwhile, non-food categories now account for over 60% of the index.

Rural inflation rose to 3.37% from 2.73%, while urban inflation increased to 3.02% from 2.77% in January.

Among other categories, housing inflation edged up to 2.12%. At the same time, inflation for clothing, health, and restaurant services eased slightly during the month.

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