# October 2026 retail inflation at 6.09%, food inflation 8.94%; onion up 116%

URL: https://kasba.co.in/en/story/october-2026-retail-inflation-at-6-09-food-inflation-8-94-on
Language: en · Section: Money · Published: 2026-11-12
Source: PIB, "अक्टूबर 2026 के लिए आधार वर्ष 2024=100 पर उपभोक्ता मूल्य सूचकांक की प्रेस विज्ञप्ति", 2026-11-12, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2335581

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released October 2026 consumer price index data on 12 November 2026, showing retail inflation at 6.09%. The figures matter to ordinary households because they track prices of everyday kitchen items such as onion, garlic and ginger.

## What this means for you

This report is directly about your household budget. Food inflation at 8.94% means eatables cost more than a year earlier. Onion, garlic, ginger and lemon rose the most, while potato, cauliflower, brinjal and cabbage became cheaper. Ordinary readers do not need to do anything; this is a government data release.

## Key facts

- Retail inflation (CPI) in October 2026: 6.09% (provisional)
- Rural inflation 6.63%, urban 5.41%
- Food inflation (CFPI) 8.94%; rural 9.09%, urban 8.68%
- Biggest rises: onion 116.22%, garlic 60.74%, ginger 48.32%
- Biggest falls: potato -14.24%, cauliflower -10.57%
- November 2026 CPI to be released on 14 December 2026

## What was released

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released consumer price index (CPI) data for October 2026 on 12 November 2026. This index is built on the new base year 2024=100. In simple terms, CPI is the measure that shows how much costlier or cheaper the ordinary person's everyday basket of goods has become over a year.

## How much inflation

Retail inflation in October 2026 was 6.09% (provisional). It was 6.63% in rural areas and 5.41% in urban areas. Food inflation stood at 8.94%, at 9.09% in rural areas and 8.68% in urban areas. So food prices rose faster than overall prices.

## What got costlier, what got cheaper

Onion saw the sharpest rise, becoming 116.22% costlier over a year. Garlic rose 60.74%, silver jewellery 52.39%, ginger 48.32% and lemon 47.30%. On the other side, potato fell 14.24%, cauliflower 10.57%, coconut 5.60%, brinjal 3.34% and cabbage 1.92%.

## How the data is collected

Field staff of the National Statistical Office, which works under the ministry, personally visit 1,407 selected urban markets (including online markets) and 1,465 villages across the country to collect prices. In October 2026 the response rate was 100% in both rural and urban markets. Prices of petrol, diesel and LPG are taken as on the 15th of the month.

## What next

The November 2026 CPI will be released on 14 December 2026 (Monday). If that day is a holiday, it will come on the next working day. State-wise and item-wise indices for October 2026 can be downloaded from the ministry's eSankhyiki portal, esankhyiki.mospi.gov.in. The ministry also said state-level item indices should be used with care, as some may be based on limited samples of price quotations.

## Questions and answers

**What was inflation in October 2026?**
6.09%. This is the year-on-year retail inflation rate based on the consumer price index, compared with October 2025.

**What is the food inflation rate?**
8.94%. It was 9.09% in rural areas and 8.68% in urban areas.

**Which items became most expensive?**
Onion rose 116.22%, garlic 60.74%, silver jewellery 52.39%, ginger 48.32% and lemon 47.30%.

**Which items became cheaper?**
Potato fell 14.24%, cauliflower 10.57%, coconut 5.60%, brinjal 3.34% and cabbage 1.92%.

**When is the next CPI data due?**
The November 2026 CPI will be released on 14 December 2026 (Monday). If that day is a holiday, it will come on the next working day.

Kasba Desk, Kasba. This routine notice was drafted with AI from an official source and published automatically; an editor reviews it after publishing.