WPI inflation slips to 2.45 pc in May from 4.78 pc in April

The annual rate of inflation based on wholesale price index stood at 2.45 per cent in May compared to 4.78 per cent in the previous month, the government said on Friday.

It was 3.07 per cent in May last year, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The official wholesale price index for all commodities (base: 2011-12=100) for May 2019 rose by 0.2 per cent to 121.2.

Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 1.08 per cent compared to a build-up rate of 1.72 per cent in the corresponding period of previous year.

The index for primary articles group (with weightage of 22.6 per cent) rose by 0.2 per cent to 139.5 in May. Under this, the index for food articles group remained unchanged at its previous month level of 150.1.

Fruits and vegetables declined by 2 per cent while tea and wheat dipped by 1 per cent each. The items which moved up were fish-marine by 7 per cent, arhar 5 per cent, peas, chawali and bajra 4 per cent each and egg 3 per cent.

The index for non-food articles' group rose by 0.9 per cent to 127.8 from 126.7 during April. The index for fuel and power group (with weightage of over 13 per cent) rose by 0.6 per cent to 103.4 from 102.4 in April.

The index for mineral oils' group rose by 1 per cent to 96.4 from 95.4 in April due to higher price of naphtha by 4 per cent, aviation turbine fuel by 3 per cent and liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene, furnace oil and high-speed diesel by 1 per cent each.