India's retail inflation falls to lowest level in 7 months to 3.61% in February: What got cheaper & costlier?

India's Retail Inflation: The numbers released by Statistics Ministry showed that retail inflation fell by 65 basis points in February as compared to January.

Updated on: Mar 12, 2025, 17:03:13 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Ashley Paul

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India's retail inflation, or the rate at which the retail cost of products increases or decreases, has dropped by 65 basis points to 3.61%, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said on Wednesday.

India's Retail Inflation: Food inflation in India in February fell by a massive 222 points to 3.75%. (Reuters)

Retail inflation in the country was at 4.26% in January 2025 and at 5.09% in February 2024. The last month's retail inflation is the lowest in seven months.

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What got cheaper and costlier?

Eggs, vegetables, pulses, spices, fuel and light were product groups that got cheaper in February 2025 compared to their prices in February 2024. Spices saw the biggest drop, at 5.85%, followed by eggs, at 3.01%.

On the other hand, prices of oils and fats saw the biggest upward jumps, rising 16.36% month-on-month. That product group was followed by fruits, the prices of which rose by 14.82%, and personal care and effects, which grew by 13.58%.

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Other products categories which saw a price increase in February 2025 as compared to February 2024 included cereals, meat, fish, milk, suger and confectionary, non-alcoholic beverages, prepared meals, snacks, clothing, footwear, housing, health, transport and communication, recreation and amusement and education.

Which states saw the most and least inflation?

Kerala saw the highest rates of inflation among all states and Union Territories in India, at 7.31% in February 2025, which is more than double the national average. The southern state was followed by Chhattisgarh (4.89% inflation), Karnataka (4.49%), Bihar (4.47%) and Jammu and Kashmir (4.28%).

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The lowest inflation rate was witnessed by Telangana, at just 1.31%, which is less than half of the national average. Other states and Union Territories with the lowest inflation rates include Delhi (1.54% inflation), Andhra Pradesh (2.44%), Jharkhand (2.68%) and Gujarat (2.98%).

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