India’s year-on-year retail inflation rose to 6.09% in October 2026 from a final 5.54% in September, according to provisional Consumer Price Index data released by the National Statistics Office. Food inflation increased to 8.94% from 7.74%.
The series uses 2024 as its base year. The combined CPI index increased to 110.05 in October from 109.49 in September, while the combined food-price index reached 113.23 from 112.17.
Rural inflation remained higher
Rural headline inflation was 6.63% in October, compared with 5.41% in urban areas. In September, the corresponding final rates were 6.08% for rural India and 4.88% for urban India.
Food inflation also showed a rural-urban difference. Rural food inflation was 9.09%, while the urban rate was 8.68%. Both were above their September levels of 8.06% and 7.18%, respectively.
The rural CPI index rose from 110.11 in September to 110.73 in October. The urban index moved from 108.71 to 109.22. For food prices, the rural index increased from 112.21 to 113.22, while the urban index rose from 112.10 to 113.24.
Price collection covered all states and union territories
The NSO collects real-time prices weekly from 1,407 urban markets, including online markets, and 1,465 villages across all states and union territories.
The response rate for October was 100% in both rural and urban markets. The release cautions that some state-level item indices rely on thin samples of price quotations and should be interpreted carefully.
The national release includes division-wise and group-wise indices for rural, urban and combined populations. It also provides state and union-territory general indices, while detailed state-level item indices are available through the eSankhyiki portal.
Provisional data and the next release
October’s figures are provisional. The NSO compiles indices and inflation rates from actual unrounded index values, although published index values are rounded to two decimal places. Recalculations from published figures can therefore produce small differences.
The reference date for petrol, diesel and LPG prices is the fifteenth day of the corresponding month. The November 2026 CPI release is scheduled for 14 December 2026, or the next working day if that date is a holiday.
The difference between provisional October data and final September data is explicit in the release. Subsequent revisions therefore need to be tracked against the published status of each monthly observation.
Key numbers
Headline inflation: 6.09% Food inflation: 8.94% Rural headline inflation: 6.63% Urban headline inflation: 5.41% Combined CPI index: 110.05
What boards and CFOs should note
- How does the move from 5.54% in September to 6.09% in October affect assumptions tied to consumer prices?
- Which input or demand exposures are most sensitive to food inflation of 8.94%?
- Does the 6.63% rural rate versus 5.41% urban rate alter regional pricing or cost comparisons?
Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation via PIB, 12 November 2026. This is a summary of an official release, published as general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice.
This article is journalism and commentary. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security, and it is not professional advice. Read the full disclaimer.
