Mumbai: The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index rose to a 45-month high of 8.1 per cent for the week ended May 17, from 7.82 per cent the week ago, mainly due to rising prices of food products and industrial fuel.

The last time inflation rate rose above the current level was on 28 August 2004, when it stood at 8.33 per cent, official data showed.

The annual inflation rate was 5.3 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

The government, meanwhile, revised the inflation rate for the week ended 22 March upwards to 7.85 per cent from 7.0 per cent.

During the week, fish (marine) became costlier by six per cent, fruits and vegetable prices rose three per cent, moong prices rose two per cent and spices gained one per cent.

Among industrial fuels, furnace oil became expensive by three per cent and light diesel oil prices rose two per cent while coke prices vaulted 31 per cent.

Despite an export ban imposed by the government, skimmed milk powder became costlier by seven per cent. Prices of khandsari and imported edible oils also went up by one per cent each.

Since 31 March this year, the government had taken various steps, including a reduction of import duty on edible oils and a ban on export of non-basmati rice to contain inflation.

It had also imposed a temporary ban on export of cement, along with an export duty on steel, to increase domestic availability of these products.

This has helped to bring down cement prices by 0.6 per cent while iron and steel prices declined by 0.6 per cent.

With a hike in retail fuel prices around the corner, inflation rate is likely to move higher.