New Delhi, September 14: Retail inflation rose to 4.82 per cent in August 2026, up from 4.45 per cent in July, driven largely by higher food prices, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index, climbed to 5.95 per cent in August from 5.52 per cent the previous month. Rural inflation stood at 5.23 per cent and urban inflation at 4.31 per cent for the month.
Onion prices rose 48.27 per cent year-on-year, garlic 43.60 per cent and silver jewellery 107.11 per cent, among the items with the sharpest increases. Tomato prices fell 31.09 per cent and potato prices 13.14 per cent, the steepest declines recorded in August.
Among states, Telangana recorded the highest combined inflation at 6.27 per cent. The ministry said price data was collected from 1,407 urban markets and 1,465 villages across the country, with a 100 per cent response rate during the month. Data for September 2026 is scheduled for release on 12 October.