Mumbai: The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index stood at 10.68 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 18 October 2008, down 0.39 points from the previous week's figure of 11.07 per cent (provisional).

The annual rate of inflation stood at 3.11 per cent during the comparable week the previous year.

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week ended 18 October declined by 0.2 per cent to 238.3 (provisional) from 238.8 (provisional) for the previous week.

The index for the 'primary articles' group declined by 0.3 per cent to 248.8 (provisional) from 249.5 (provisional) for the previous week. Among this major group, the index for 'food articles' rose 0.2 per cent to 243.0 (provisional) from 242.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of bajra and maize (5 per cent each), jowar (2 per cent) and fruits & vegetables (1 per cent). However, the prices of wheat and arhar (2 per cent each) and urad (1 per cent) declined.

The index for 'non-food articles' declined by 1.5 per cent to 231.7 (provisional) from 235.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of raw rubber (8 per cent), raw cotton (6 per cent) and groundnut seed (1 per cent). However, the prices of rape and mustard seed (1 per cent) moved up.

The annual rate of inflation, calculated on point to point basis, for 'primary articles' stood at 10.92 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 11.53 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 5.11 per cent for the same week the previous year.

The annual rate of inflation for 'food articles' stood at 8.43 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 8.74 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 3.27 per cent the same week the previous year.

The index for fuel, power, light and lubricants, declined by 0.4 per cent to 369.3 (provisional) from 370.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of furnace oil (6 per cent) and light diesel oil (3 per cent). However, the prices of bitumen (4 per cent) moved up.

The index for manufactured products group declined by 0.1 per cent to 205.4 (provisional) from 205.7 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among `manufactured products' group, the index for 'food products' declined by 0.5 per cent to 204.4 (provisional) from 205.4 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of imported edible oil (4 per cent), oilcakes (3 per cent), rice bran oil and gingelly oil (2 per cent each) and groundnut oil (1 per cent). However, the prices of khandsari (4 per cent) and gur (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for 'beverages, tobacco & tobacco products' rose by 1.0 per cent to 296.6 (provisional) from 293.7 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of bidi (5 per cent).

The index for 'textiles' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 139.9 (provisional) from 140.0 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of texturised yarn (4 per cent). However, the prices of hessian cloth and hessian and sacking bags (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for 'chemicals & chemical products' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 224.5 (provisional) from 224.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of PVC. Resins (14 per cent), purified terephthalic acid (12 per cent) and benzene (2 per cent).

The index for 'non-metallic mineral products' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 218.2 (provisional) from 217.9 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of building bricks (3 per cent).

The index for 'basic metals, alloys & metal products' group declined by 0.3 per cent to 296.7 (provisional) from 297.7 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of zinc (11 per cent), lead ingots, basic pig iron and foundry pig iron (3 per cent each each), zinc ingots and ms bars & rounds (2 per cent each) and steel sheets, plates & strips (1 per cent).

The final inflation rate for the week ended 23 August 2008 stood at 12.76 per cent as compared to 12.34 per cent (provisional) reported earlier. The final wholesale price index for the week ended 23 August 2008 for 'all commodities' stood at 241.2 as compared to 240.3 (provisional) according to revised estimates.