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Informist, Thursday, Mar. 12, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Over a third of states and Union Territories in India saw higher inflation than the national average in February with most belonging to the southern part of the country, latest data from the statistics ministry showed. 

 

India's headline inflation, based on the new Consumer Price Index, rose to 3.21% in February from 2.74% in January because of higher food inflation. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel items, remained steady at 3.4%.

 

Of the 14 states and Union Territories, where inflation was higher than 3.21%, eight were from the South India, including the Andaman And Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Telangana had the highest inflation in India in February at 5.02%, followed by Andaman And Nicobar Islands at 4.06%, and Sikkim at 3.64%. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka also saw inflation higher than the national average of 3.21% in February. 

 

"Across states, inflation showed a varying pattern. Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh also had higher than average inflation," Bank of Baroda Chief Economist Madan Sabnavis said in a note. "In most of these states, rural inflation tended to be higher reflecting higher prices of food in these regions."

 

North eastern and Himalayan states, except Sikkim, saw low inflation last month. Mizoram had the lowest inflation in the country at 0.1%, followed by Manipur at 1.01% and Ladakh at 1.55%. Inflation in the urban areas of Mizoram was in deflation in February, the only region in the country where prices fell on a year-on-year basis. Inflation in the national capital of Delhi was 1.96% last month.

 

Inflation is expected to rise in the coming months on the back of higher food prices, and the impact of US-Israel's attack on Iran, which has already led to higher cooking gas prices.  End

 

Reported by Shubham Rana

Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj

 

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