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		<img align="" alt="Inflation" class="imgCont" height="464" src="https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/img/article/2018-12/27/full/1545932792-1841.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-right: 10px; padding: 1px; float: left; z-index: 0;" title="Inflation" width="620" />
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			Retail inflation declined to an 18-month low of 2.19 per cent in December 2018 mainly on account of sliding prices of fruits, vegetables and fuel.</div>
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			The inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 2.33 per cent in November and 5.21 per cent in December 2017.</div>
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			The previous low inflation was 1.46 per cent in June 2017.</div>
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			According to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, food inflation remained in the negative zone at 2.51 per cent compared to (-) 2.61 per cent in the November.</div>
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			The rate of price rise in vegetables, fruits and protein-rich eggs continued to decline.</div>
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			However, there was a marginal increase in prices of meat, fish, and pulses.</div>
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			Fuel and light inflation was 4.54 per cent in December, down from 7.39 per cent in November on back of reduction in prices of petrol and diesel.</div>
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			Another data released earlier in the day showed that inflation based on wholesale prices fell to an eight-month low of 3.80 per cent in December, 2018, on softening prices of fuel and some food items.</div>
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			The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation stood at 4.64 per cent in November 2018 and 3.58 per cent in December 2017.</div>
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The decline was helped by a fall in food prices and smaller increases in fuel costs.

Dec retail inflation rate drops to 2.19% y/y, lowest since June 2017

The decline was helped by a fall in food prices and smaller increases in fuel costs.