CPI Data: India’s retail inflation rises to 3.21% in February; food inflation at 3.47%

India’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), stood at 3.21 per cent in February 2026, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The inflation rate increased by 47 basis points year-on-year compared with February 2025. Inflation in rural areas was recorded at 3.37 per cent, while urban inflation stood at 3.02 per cent in February.

The All India CPI with base year 2024=100 stood at 104.45 during the month. The rural CPI index was 104.59, while the urban CPI index stood at 104.28.

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Headline inflation at 3.21%

The year-on-year inflation rate based on the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February 2026 over February 2025 was 3.21 per cent (provisional).

The data showed an increase of 47 basis points in the inflation rate. The CPI tracks changes in retail prices across rural and urban markets and measures the inflation faced by consumers.

Rural and urban inflation levels

Inflation levels differed between rural and urban areas. The rural inflation rate stood at 3.37 per cent in February 2026. In comparison, urban inflation was recorded at 3.02 per cent during the same period.

The CPI index level in rural areas was 104.59, while the urban CPI index level stood at 104.28. The combined All India CPI index was recorded at 104.45.

Food inflation at 3.47%

Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), stood at 3.47 per cent in February 2026 on a year-on-year basis.

Food inflation in rural areas was recorded at 3.46 per cent, while urban food inflation stood at 3.48 per cent. The All India Consumer Food Price Index stood at 104.04 during February.

The rural CFPI index level was 103.89, while the urban CFPI index level stood at 104.31.

Vegetable prices decline month-on-month

The data showed a decline in the prices of certain vegetables during the month. The index for tomatoes, peas and cauliflower declined by more than 10 per cent in February 2026 compared with January 2026.

The decline was recorded on a month-on-month basis, according to the data.

Housing inflation at 2.12%

Housing inflation remained lower than headline inflation during the month. The year-on-year housing inflation rate stood at 2.12 per cent in February 2026.

Housing inflation in rural areas was recorded at 2.43 per cent, while urban housing inflation stood at 2.00 per cent.

CPI base year 2024=100

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is compiled by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The index is released with base year of 2024=100.

The CPI data for February 2026 is provisional and may be revised in subsequent releases as additional price data becomes available.

Retail inflation based on CPI measures price changes faced by consumers and reflects price movements across categories such as food, housing, fuel and other household items.

Food prices remain an important component of the inflation basket and influence overall inflation trends. The data released by the National Statistics Office provides provisional estimates for the current month and revised figures for the previous month.