February retail inflation rose to a 4-month high of 3.65 percent mainly due to hike in the price of basic food articles like fruits, sugar, and confectionery.
Measuring inflation in terms of Consumer Price Index (CPI), the inflation took a dive to a multi-year low of 3.17 per cent in January on account of cash crunch following demonetisation. February inflation was at 5.26 percent last year.
The Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the consumer food prices index (CFPI) increased by 2.01 percent in Feb from 0.61 percent in Jan. The CFPI was at 5.3 percent in the month of February 2016.
Inflation in Fruits, Fuel and the light was higher at 8.33 percent and 3.9 percent respectively in February. The rate of price rise in meat & dish was 3.5 percent in February. Prices of sugar and confectionary items rose to 18.83 percent, inflation in milk & milk products rosed to 4.22 percent.
The household goods & services inflation was at 4.09 percent and the health segment registered 4 percent inflation. The transport & communication inflation came at 5.39 percent. The personal care segment showed 5.15 percent while the education sector came up with 5.37 percent inflation rise in the month of February this fiscal. The inflation rate in the clothing & footwear segment was 4.38 percent & 4.9 percent respectively.
However, the prices declined in the vegetable sector and pulses sector by 8.29 percent and 9.02 percent respectively. Rural retail inflation was registered at 3.67 percent in February compared with 3.36 percent in the January month. In urban sector, the CPI was that 3.55 percent in February, from 2.9 percent in January this year.
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