Retail Inflation Rises to 6.09% in October 2026, Food at 8.94%

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation put out the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for October 2026 on 12 November 2026. Measured on the revised series with base 2024=100, retail price rise at the all-India level worked out to 6.09% on a provisional basis, measured against October 2025. Villages felt the pinch more than cities: the rural rate came to 6.63% while the urban rate stayed at 5.41%.

Food basket leads the climb

The Consumer Food Price Index, which tracks what households spend on food, recorded a yearly rise of 8.94% in October 2026. Village households saw food costs climb 9.09% and city households 8.68%, so the gap between the two was far narrower in food than in the headline number. Food carries the single largest weight in the retail basket, which is why a food reading well above the general one pulls the headline rate up.

What turned costly, what turned cheap

Onion led the list of items with the steepest yearly price rise at the combined level, followed by garlic, silver jewellery, ginger and lemon. At the other end, five items were cheaper than a year earlier: potato recorded the largest fall, with cauliflower, coconut, brinjal and cabbage also in negative territory. Silver jewellery was the only item outside the food group among the sharpest risers.

How the numbers are gathered

Field staff of the National Statistical Office visit a fixed weekly roster of 1,407 urban markets, online markets included, and 1,465 villages spread across every State and Union Territory. For October 2026 the response rate touched 100% in both rural and urban markets, which makes the month's reading unusually complete. Prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas are taken as on the 15th of the month being reported, and the ministry cautions that State-level item indices built on thin samples should be read with care.

Why a student should note it

The series rebased to 2024 is the yardstick the Reserve Bank of India watches for its inflation target, so the October reading matters for policy questions as much as for data questions. The figures for November 2026 are due on 14 December 2026, and State-wise and item-wise indices are hosted on the ministry's eSankhyiki portal. Indices at every level are compiled from unrounded values, so a figure recomputed from the printed tables can differ slightly.