High vegetable rates push retail inflation to 4-month high in Dec

New Delhi: Retail inflation rose at the fastest pace in four months in December 2023 at 5.69 per cent, on account of an increase in prices of vegetables, pulses, and spices, according to government data released on Friday.

The annual inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 5.55 per cent in November and 5.72 per cent in the year-ago month.

As per the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the rate of price rise in the food basket, which constitutes nearly half of the CPI, increased to 9.53 per cent in December 2023, as against 8.7 per cent in the preceding month, and 4.19 per cent in December 2022.

In August 2023, inflation had touched a high of 6.83 per cent. The latest data showed that inflation in the vegetable segment was at 27.64 per cent on an annual basis, followed by 'pulses and products' at 20.73 per cent, and spices at 19.69 per cent.

However, prices of 'oil and fats' declined by 14.96 per cent. (PTI)