The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on April 13, 2026, issued the notification regarding the Press Release of Consumer Price Index on Base 2024=100 for March, 2026.
The following has been stated namely: -
• Year-on-year CPI inflation (base 2024) for March 2026 is 3.40% (provisional), with rural at 3.63% and urban at 3.11%.
• Food inflation (CFPI) stands at 3.87%, higher in rural (3.96%) than urban (3.71%).
• Housing inflation is relatively low at 2.11%, with rural (2.54%) slightly higher than urban (1.95%).
• Overall CPI index for March 2026 is 104.84 (combined), showing a rise from 104.57 in February 2026.
• Among divisions, Personal care & miscellaneous goods/services recorded very high inflation (~18.65%), while Transport showed almost no inflation (0%).
• Top items with lowest inflation (deflation) include onion, potato, garlic, arhar (tur), and peas, with sharp negative price changes.
• Items with highest inflation include silver jewellery, gold/diamond jewellery, coconut (copra), tomato, and cauliflower.
• At the state level, Telangana recorded the highest inflation (~5.83%), followed by states like Sikkim and Puducherry (~4%+).
• Data collection covered 1407 urban markets and 1465 villages, achieving nearly 100% price reporting, ensuring reliability.
• Next CPI data release for April 2026 is scheduled on May 12, 2026, and detailed indices are available on the official statistics portal.
[Release ID: 2251519]
