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India's Retail Inflation at 2.75% Under New CPI Series with 2024 Base Year and 358 Items

Target:BankingUPSC GS-IIIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains Medium
12 Feb 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:2.75%1.33%2024 base year358 goods and services36.75% food weight4% inflation target
Bodies:MoSPIRBI
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.Headline retail inflation under the revised CPI series stood at 2.75% in January 2026, as per MoSPI.

2.The CPI base year updated to 2024 from 2012, with basket reframed using 2023-24 HCES data, increasing items from 299 to 358.

3.Food weight reduced sharply from 45.86% to 36.75%, in line with Engel's Law, to reduce headline inflation volatility.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · Medium

India's retail inflation calculation has been modernized with a new CPI series based on 2024, showing January inflation at 2.75%. This overhaul, crucial for monetary policy, updates the consumption basket using the latest HCES data and reduces food weight, aligning with structural economic changes and aiming for more accurate inflation measurement.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

New CPI Inflation (Jan 2026)2.75%
Old CPI Inflation (Dec 2025)1.33%
New CPI Base Year2024
Old CPI Base Year2012
Items in New CPI Basket358
Items in Old CPI Basket299
New Food & Beverage Weight36.75%
Old Food & Beverage Weight45.86%
RBI Inflation Target4% (2-6% band)
Current Repo Rate (2025)5.25%

1-Minute Revision

  • ›New CPI Inflation (Jan 2026): 2.75%
  • ›Old CPI Inflation (Dec 2025): 1.33%
  • ›Target this Data: 2.75% (Jan 2026 CPI inflation under new series)
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
  • ›Target this Legal Point: RBI's mandate to target 4% CPI inflation within a 2-6% band

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which ministry/department is responsible for releasing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data in India?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the revised Consumer Price Index (CPI) series mentioned in the news:

1. The new CPI series has updated its base year to 2024 from the earlier 2012.

2. The weight of food and beverage items has increased in the new CPI basket compared to the old series.

3. The new CPI basket now contains 358 items, which is less than the number in the erstwhile basket.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the news, what was the headline retail inflation rate for January 2026 as per the revised CPI series?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary rationale behind reducing the weight of food items in the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket, as mentioned in the news?

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