4.82%
Headline inflation, August 2026
Up 0.37 points on July
5.23%
Rural inflation, August 2026
Up 0.39 points on July
4.31%
Urban inflation, August 2026
Up 0.35 points on July
5.95%
Food inflation, August 2026
Up 0.43 points on July
Retail inflation is back above the 4% target
CPI headline inflation, year on year, Sep 24 to Aug 26. August 2026 is provisional.
RBI repo rate: 5.25%. Held unchanged at the August 2026 MPC meeting, neutral stance. Next MPC decision expected 7 Oct 2026, not yet announced as of 5 Oct 2026.
Caveat: the repo rate comes from a secondary news report (Business Standard). It was not read from an RBI page. The 2 to 6% band around a 4% target is the standard RBI framework, also not read from an RBI page.
Series break: months up to December 2025 are on CPI base 2012=100. From January 2026 the series is on base 2024=100. Year on year rates across the break are not strictly like for like.
Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and PIB CPI press releases
View as table
| Month | Headline | Rural | Urban | Food | Base year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 4.82 | 5.23 | 4.31 | 5.95 | 2024=100 |
| July 2026 | 4.45 | 4.84 | 3.96 | 5.52 | 2024=100 |
| June 2026 | 4.38 | 4.74 | 3.93 | 5.32 | 2024=100 |
| May 2026 | 3.93 | 4.25 | 3.53 | 4.78 | 2024=100 |
| April 2026 | 3.48 | 3.74 | 3.16 | 4.20 | 2024=100 |
| March 2026 | 3.40 | 3.63 | 3.11 | 3.87 | 2024=100 |
| February 2026 | 3.21 | 3.37 | 3.02 | 3.47 | 2024=100 |
| January 2026 | 2.74 | 2.73 | 2.75 | 2.13 | 2024=100 |
| December 2025 | 1.33 | 0.76 | 2.03 | -2.71 | 2012=100 |
| November 2025 | 0.71 | 0.10 | 1.40 | -3.91 | 2012=100 |
| October 2025 | 0.25 | -0.25 | 0.88 | -5.02 | 2012=100 |
| September 2025 | 1.44 | 1.07 | 2.04 | -2.33 | 2012=100 |
| August 2025 | 2.07 | 1.69 | 2.47 | -0.64 | 2012=100 |
| July 2025 | 1.61 | Not available | Not available | -1.76 | 2012=100 |
| June 2025 | 2.10 | Not available | Not available | -1.01 | 2012=100 |
| May 2025 | 2.82 | Not available | Not available | 0.99 | 2012=100 |
| April 2025 | 3.16 | Not available | Not available | 1.78 | 2012=100 |
| March 2025 | 3.34 | Not available | Not available | 2.69 | 2012=100 |
| February 2025 | 3.61 | Not available | Not available | 3.75 | 2012=100 |
| January 2025 | 4.26 | Not available | Not available | 5.97 | 2012=100 |
| December 2024 | 5.22 | 5.76 | 4.58 | 8.39 | 2012=100 |
| November 2024 | 5.48 | 5.95 | 4.89 | 9.04 | 2012=100 |
| October 2024 | 6.21 | 6.68 | 5.62 | 10.87 | 2012=100 |
| September 2024 | 5.49 | 5.87 | 5.05 | 9.24 | 2012=100 |
View August 2026 group figures as table
| Group | Inflation, % |
|---|---|
| Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous | 15.17 |
| Restaurants and accommodation | 8.38 |
| Food and beverages | 5.66 |
| Paan, tobacco and intoxicants | 4.71 |
| Transport | 4.60 |
| Education services | 3.73 |
| Clothing and footwear | 3.56 |
| Furnishings and household maintenance | 2.68 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels | 2.61 |
| Information and communication | 2.01 |
| Recreation, sport and culture | 1.74 |
| Health | 1.34 |
Figures were last checked against the sources above on 5 October 2026. Refresh cycle: Monthly.