Mumbai: The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index rose further to touch 12.1 per cent - the highest in over thirteen years - during the week ended 26 July, up 0.03 percentage points from its previous week's level of 11.98 per cent.

The increase is attributed to higher prices of pulses, spices, eggs, fish and meat among other things, which continued to rise.

Prices of primary articles increased by 0.1 per cent, while that of non-food articles rose by 0.4 per cent.

The manufactured-products index rose by 0.1 per cent while that of chemicals and chemical products increased by 0.05 per cent. The price index for mineral declined by 0.6 per cent.

Inflation rate calculated on point-to-point basis stood at 9.32 per cent as compared to 8.75 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 31 May.

The finance ministry said last week that on a week on week basis prices have more or less stabilised, barring in the case of a few commodities.

As per the official data released today, prices of most of food articles went up, although some items like fruits showed downward trend, whose prices declined by 0.5 per cent.

Out of a total 98 primary articles, prices of 18 have declined as compared with the previous week, the release showed.