The annual rate of inflation based on wholesale prices eased to 5.09 per cent in July 2018 from over four-year high of 5.77 per cent in the previous month.

According to official data, WPI inflation had touched 1.88 per cent in July last year. Core inflation remained flat at 4.8 per cent in July this year.

For the April-July 2018 period, WPI inflation stood at 4.8 per cent against 2.2 per cent in April-July 2017.Meanwhile, for the month of May 2018, WPI inflation has been revised upwards to 4.8 per cent from 4.4 per cent reported earlier.

The decline in WPI print for July could be largely attributed to the sharp fall in primary articles inflation, which came in at 1.7 per cent for July 2018 compared with 5.3 per cent in June 2018.

On the other hand, wholesale inflation for manufactured products increased to 4.3 per cent in July 2018. Inflation for fuel items jumped to 18.1 per cent in July 2018 from 16.2 per cent in June 2018, the data showed.

Food items inflation turned negative in July 2018 to (-) 0.9 per cent from 1.6 per cent in June 2018.

Srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in

 

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