September retail inflation eases to 1.54%, food inflation down at -2.28%
September CPI-based inflation: The inflation dipped in September after an increase in August that marked the first monthly rise in inflation in 10 months
 "September retail inflation eases to 1.54%, food inflation down at -2.28%")
India’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), cooled to 1.54 per cent in September, from 2.07 per cent in August, making it the lowest year-on-year inflation after June 2017, according to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Monday.
The headline inflation dipped in September after a slight increase in August, which marked the first monthly rise in inflation in 10 months.
Food inflation remains negative
Food inflation, based on the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), stood at -2.28 per cent in September compared to the same period last year. For rural areas, the rate was -2.17 per cent, and for urban areas, the inflation was -2.47 per cent. The food inflation was at its lowest level since December 2018.
The decline in both overall and food inflation was mainly due to a favourable base effect and a fall in prices of vegetables, oils and fats, fruits, pulses, cereals, eggs, and fuel.
State-wise inflation
Kerala recorded the highest inflation at 9.05 per cent in September, rising marginally from 9.04 per cent in August, followed by Jammu & Kashmir at 4.38 per cent, Karnataka at 3.33 per cent, and Punjab at 3.06 per cent.
On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh recorded negative inflation at 0.61 per cent, followed by Assam (-0.56 per cent), Bihar (-0.51 per cent) and Telangana (-0.15 per cent).
Sector-wise inflation
In September, housing inflation in urban areas rose to 3.98 per cent, up from 3.09 per cent in August. Education inflation for both rural and urban sectors slightly eased to 3.44 per cent from 3.60 per cent last month, while health inflation remained nearly steady at 4.34 per cent, compared to 4.40 per cent in August.
Transport and communication inflation fell marginally to 1.82 per cent in September from 1.94 per cent in August, and fuel and light inflation dropped to 1.98 per cent from 2.32 per cent last month.