New Delhi, November 12: India’s retail inflation rose to 6.09% in October 2026, up from 5.54% in September, according to provisional Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Thursday.
Food prices pushed the figure higher. Inflation measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) climbed to 8.94% in October from 7.74% a month earlier.
Rural prices rise faster than urban
Rural inflation stood at 6.63% in October, compared with 6.08% in September. Urban inflation rose to 5.41% from 4.88%. Food inflation was 9.09% in rural areas and 8.68% in urban areas.
The all-India combined CPI, calculated on the new base year of 2024=100, stood at 110.05 in October against 109.49 in September.
Onion and garlic lead price rises
Onion recorded the steepest year-on-year rise among individual items at 116.22%, followed by garlic (60.74%), silver jewellery (52.39%), ginger (48.32%) and lemon (47.30%).
Some vegetables became cheaper. Potato prices fell 14.24%, cauliflower 10.57%, coconut 5.60%, brinjal 3.34% and cabbage 1.92%.
Personal care and eating out cost more
Among the 12 broad divisions of the CPI basket, personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services recorded the highest inflation at 10.14%, followed by restaurants and accommodation services at 10.06%. Food and beverages, which carry the largest weight in the basket at 36.75, rose 8.51%.
Health recorded the lowest inflation at 2.05%. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 2.90%, and transport 5.84%.
State-wise picture
Puducherry recorded the highest combined inflation among states and union territories at 7.96%, followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (7.59%) and Tamil Nadu (7.29%). Mizoram had the lowest at 2.85%, followed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (3.46%) and Meghalaya (3.63%).
What the data covers
For households, the October data shows kitchen staples such as onion, garlic and ginger costing considerably more than a year ago, while potato and cauliflower prices were lower. Prices rose faster in rural areas than in towns and cities.
The ministry said prices were collected from 1,407 urban markets, including online markets, and 1,465 villages, with a 100% response rate. The October figures are provisional, while September’s are final. CPI data for November 2026 is due on 14 December.
Related: Retail inflation rises to 4.82% in August, food prices up 5.95%