Driven by increasingly costly vegetables, consumer prices went up 11.7 per cent in August — surpassing the July percentage of 10.4 and crossing the average price level in 2010.
The price level, on the basis of consumer price index (CPI) of 100 basis points in 2010, rose to 1.18 per cent in August compared to July.
However, this rate of change in consumer price index cannot be taken as inflation. Those statistics will come starting January next year, as per the new series launched in February this year.
Rural areas saw a sharper increase in prices than urban parts. The percentage increase in the price index in rural areas stood at 1.34 per cent in August compared to July, while it was only 0.83 per cent in urban parts.
The index for vegetables jumped 4.61 per cent to 113.4 points in August from 108.4 in July at the all-India level. The indices for food, beverages and tobacco went up by 1.27 per cent, while it went up by over a per cent for milk, milk products, fruits, oils and fats.
The CPI for fuel and light went up by 0.69 per cent with the index moving up to 116.4 points in August from 115.6 points in July. Meghalaya witnessed the highest index of 117.9 points in August, while Manipur saw the least index of 107.4 points.
