Inset Image Source: PIB Report

New Delhi: The State of Telangana recorded the highest Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation among all States and Union Territories for the month of  August 2026, clocking 6.27%, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Monday. It was followed by Tamil Nadu (5.92%), Madhya Pradesh (5.55%), Andhra Pradesh (5.53%), and Odisha (5.52%), rounding out the top five.

At the national level, retail inflation based on the All India CPI (base year 2024) stood at 4.82% for August 2026 over August 2025, provisional data showed. Rural inflation was higher at 5.23%, while urban inflation came in lower at 4.31%, reflecting sharper price pressures in rural markets during the month.

Retail inflation has been on an upward trajectory since May, with headline CPI inflation climbing each month steadily from 3.93% in May to 4.38% in June, 4.45% in July, and 4.82% in August.

The August figure, released under the new CPI series with base year 2024=100, is provisional. According to MoSPI, price data for the month were gathered from 1,407 urban markets (including online markets) and 1,465 villages spanning all states and Union Territories, with both rural and urban markets reporting a full 100% response rate.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mizoram posted the lowest inflation rate among states, at just 2.35%, underscoring the wide regional variation in price trends across the country even as the national headline figure held close to the 5% mark.


Food continued to be the primary driver of rising consumer prices, with food inflation climbing to 5.95% in August from 5.52% in July. The increase was more pronounced in rural areas, where food inflation touched 6.13%, compared with 5.64% in urban areas.

Within the food basket, a few items saw particularly sharp spikes. Onion inflation nearly doubled, surging to 48.27% in August from 22.54% in July, while garlic inflation climbed to 43.60% from 35.36% over the same period.

Ginger prices also remained elevated, with inflation at 73.82% in August, though this marked a moderation from July's 83.57%. Among all key items tracked by MoSPI, silver jewellery recorded the steepest inflation at 107.11%, while gold, diamond and platinum jewellery inflation came in at 35.53%.

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