PrepMaticCurrent affairs · September 2026
Retail inflation rises to 4.82% in August 2026
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Retail inflation based on the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 4.82% in August 2026, up from 4.45% in July, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) of MoSPI. The data, released on 14 September 2026, uses the new base year 2024=100. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), was 5.95%.
August 2026 at a glance
| Measure | Rural | Urban | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI general inflation, August 2026 | 5.23% | 4.31% | 4.82% |
| CPI general inflation, July 2026 | 4.84% | 3.96% | 4.45% |
| Food inflation (CFPI), August 2026 | 6.13% | 5.64% | 5.95% |
The combined CPI index for August 2026 was 108.74 (provisional).
Items driving the numbers
- Highest inflation: silver jewellery (107.11%), ginger (73.82%), onion (48.27%), garlic (43.60%) and gold, diamond and platinum jewellery (35.53%).
- Lowest inflation: tomato (minus 31.09%), potato (minus 13.14%), motor car and jeep (minus 6.72%), lady's finger (minus 5.41%) and parwal (minus 3.60%).
Prices were collected from 1,407 urban markets, including online markets, and 1,465 villages. CPI for September 2026 is due on 12 October 2026, or the next working day if that is a holiday. The RBI quoted the same 4.8% figure in its 7 October policy; see the October 2026 repo rate decision.
Why it matters for exams
Inflation data, base years and who publishes them are standard banking awareness and economy questions in IBPS, SBI, RBI Grade B and TNPSC general studies. The base year changing to 2024 is exactly the type of detail examiners pick. See the Indian economy guide.
Practice questions
Question 1
What is the base year of the CPI series used for the August 2026 inflation release?
- A. 2012
- B. 2022-23
- C. 2024
- D. 2011-12
Question 2
What was all-India combined CPI inflation in August 2026?
- A. 4.45%
- B. 4.82%
- C. 5.95%
- D. 9.92%
Answers
- C. The new CPI series has base year 2024=100.
- B. Combined CPI inflation was 4.82%. 4.45% was July's figure and 5.95% is food inflation.
Source
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