Inflation rises to 5.37% on costlier food items

The retail inflation rose to 5.37 per cent in February on higher prices of food items, including vegetables and beverages.

The consumer price based retail inflation (consumer price index or CPI) for February is calculated with a new base year of 2012.

For January, the retail inflation with a new base year has been revised upwards to 5.19 per cent from 5.11 per cent estimated earlier.

The CPI in February last year was 7.88 per cent. Food inflation during the month under review rose to 6.79 per cent from 6.06 per cent in January. The rise in inflation in food items was mainly due to costlier vegetables, pulses and beverages.

The rate of price rise in vegetables went up by 13.01 per cent; in pulses and products by 10.61 per cent, while the same in the food & beverages category rates moved up by 6.76 per cent.

Inflation in fruits was 8.93 per cent. For rural segment, retail inflation was 5.79 per cent in February 2015 and that for urban centres 4.95 per cent.