Wholesale deflation at 3.48% in May vs 0.92% in previous month

Wholesale price-based inflation rate declined by -3.48 per cent (deflation) in May, a 3-year low, on easing prices of food, fuel, and manufactured items. The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation rate has been in the negative territory for the second straight month.

In April it was -0.92 per cent. In May 2022, WPI inflation was at 16.63 per cent. The May, 2023 data print of -3.48 per cent is the lowest WPI print recorded since May 2020, when wholesale inflation was at -3.37 per cent.

Inflation in food articles eased to 1.51 per cent in May, against 3.54 per cent in April. "Decline in the rate of inflation in May, 2023 is primarily contributed by fall in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, food products, textiles, non-food articles, crude petroleum & natural gas, and chemical & chemical products," the commerce and industry ministry said on Wednesday.

Fuel and power basket inflation eased to -9.17 per cent in May, from 0.93 per cent in April. In manufactured products, the inflation rate was -2.97 per cent in the month under review, as against -2.42 per cent in April.

The deceleration in WPI comes in line with the easing of May retail inflation, which came in at an 25-month low of 4.25 per cent.

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