Statsguru: From food to fuel, here's how rising prices are affecting us

In April, the wholesale food price index rose 8.9 per cent, while the consumer food price index rose 8.4 per cent

The April reading of inflation, released a fortnight ago, showed about an 8 per cent increase in consumer prices. Inflation levels in the western world were even higher — the UK’s inflation rate hit a 40-year high of 9 per cent. India can go the same way, given the wholesale price index-based inflation rate in April went up by 15 per cent. The gap between retail and wholesale inflation has reduced, but at 7 percentage points, it remains high (chart 1).

Further data analysis showed that consumer food prices had caught up with wholesale food prices. In April, the wholesale food