Consumer price inflation marginally lower at 9.64% in July

Consumer price inflation in the country based on the consumer price index declined marginally to 9.64 per cent in July 2013, from 9.87 per cent in the previous month, helped by a softening of the prices of cereal, pulses, fruits and sugar.

Consumer price inflation had been declining for three consecutive months before June.

The corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for July 2013 were 9.14 per cent and 10.26 per cent, respectively.

Food inflation in July softened to 11.24 per cent from 11.84 per cent in the previous month, official data released on Monday showed.

Prices of cereals and pulses came down to 16.03 per cent (from 17.59) and 5.55 per cent (from 8.82 per cent) respectively in July.

Fruit prices also fell by 6.81 per cent during the month from 7.49 per cent a month ago.

Prices of milk and milk products rose by 8.14 per cent in July from 7.96 per cent a month earlier. Prices of eggs, fish and meat and vegetables went up by 13.82 per cent against a 12.69 per cent rise in June.

Also, retail inflation in vegetable prices went up by 16.40 per cent in July, from 14.55 per cent in the previous month, data showed.

Meanwhile, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revised (final) the inflation rates for rural and urban areas for June 2013 to 9.63 per cent and 10.13 per cent, respectively.