MoSPI's data of 14 September 2026 put all-India CPI inflation at 4.82% for August, up from 4.45% in July, with food inflation at 5.95%.
WHAT HAPPENED
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the provisional Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for August 2026 on 14 September 2026. Year-on-year retail inflation was 4.82%, up from 4.45% in July 2026 and above the RBI's 4% target.
KEY FIGURES
- All-India CPI (combined) inflation: 4.82%.
- Rural inflation: 5.23%. Urban inflation: 4.31%.
- Food inflation (Consumer Food Price Index): 5.95%.
- Series: the new CPI series with base year 2024 = 100.
- Price data are collected by the National Statistics Office (NSO) from 1,407 urban markets and 1,465 villages across all States and Union Territories.
WHY IT MATTERS
The rise in August was one of the numbers the Monetary Policy Committee looked at when it raised the repo rate on 7 October 2026 (see the RBI note on this site). Inflation above 4% for a longer time puts pressure on the RBI to tighten.
EXAM ANGLE
- CPI is released by MoSPI (NSO) on or around the 12th of every month; it is the measure the RBI uses for its inflation target. WPI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- The RBI's target is 4% with a band of 2% to 6%.
- Rural inflation is higher than urban in this release; remember which one leads in each month because questions often ask this.
Published on 14 Sep 2026. Based on the MoSPI/PIB press release as reported by Business Standard. The figures are provisional and may be revised; confirm from mospi.gov.in before an exam.