Retail inflation rises to 4.58% in April, reverses declining trend

 The inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key data factored in by the Reserve Bank while deciding interest rate, was 4.28% in March.

Reversing the declining trend, retail inflation moved up to 4.58% in April due to gradual rise in prices of cereals, meat, fish and fruits.

The inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key data factored in by the Reserve Bank while deciding interest rate, was 4.28% in March.

The inflation was at 2.99% in April last year.

The CPI index had been declining since January this year.

As per data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the rate of price rise in the protein rich items like meat and fish inched up in April to 3.59%, as against the previous month of 3.17%.

Similarly, the inflation in the fruit basket was higher at 9.65% compared to 5.78% in the previous month.

However, inflation in vegetables segment was lower at 7.29% in April compared to 11.7%.

Overall, inflation in the food basket remained flat at 2.8% month-on-month.

The CSO data further revealed that inflation in the fuel and light segment also came in lower at 5.24% month-on-month basis.