Wholesale inflation eases to 0.27% in January as food prices moderate

New Delhi, The wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation eased in January to 0.27 per cent, mainly due to moderation in prices of food items. WPI inflation was at 0.73 per cent in December 2023.

The WPI inflation was in the negative zone from April to October and had turned positive in November at 0.39 per cent.

"The annual rate of inflation based on the All India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is 0.27 per cent (provisional) for the month of January, 2024 (over January, 2023)," the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Food inflation eased to 6.85 per cent in January, compared to 9.38 per cent in December 2023, data showed.

Inflation in vegetables was 19.71 per cent in January, down from 26.3 per cent in the preceding month. The WPI inflation in pulses was at 16.06 per cent in January, while in fruits it was 1.01 per cent.

The wholesale inflation in January 2023 was 4.8 per cent.