India’s headline Consumer Price Index inflation fell to a 69-month low of 3.16% in April because of a decline in food prices and the statistical effect of a high base, a government release Tuesday said.
“There is a decline of 18 basis points in headline inflation of April, 2025 in comparison to March, 2025. It is the lowest year-on-year inflation after July, 2019,” the government said, asserting “it is the lowest year-on-year inflation after July, 2019”.
This is the sixth month in a row that CPI inflation has declined, and also the third consecutive month when it has stayed below the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4%.
CPI inflation was 3.34% in March and 4.83% in April 2024.
Pulled down by vegetable inflation, food inflation fell to a 42-month low of 1.78% which was at a 26-month low of (-)10.98% last month. The food index fell 0.2% in April, with the vegetable and pulses indices falling 3.0% and 2.0%, respectively, from March. The fuel and light index was up 0.7% in April.
The core inflation–which excludes food and fuel items, remained at 4.1% for the second consecutive month in April.
Rural inflation fell to 2.92% in April from 3.25% in the previous month.
Urban inflation which was higher than rural inflation but it also moderated in April to 3.36% from 3.43% in March.