Inflation has gone up every single month of 2026.

4.82%

CPI inflation, August 2026 (provisional) · rural 5.23% · urban 4.31%

India started the year at 2.74%. Eight monthly readings later it is 4.82% — past the RBI’s 4% target and the highest print of the new 2024=100 index series.

Eight readings. Eight rises.

All-India CPI inflation, year-on-year, %

Jan 2.74%

Feb 3.21%

Mar 3.40%

Apr 3.48%

May 3.93%

Jun 4.38%

Jul 4.45%

Aug 4.82%

RBI’s 4% inflation target

There is no single “inflation rate”

Your personal number depends entirely on what you buy. Division-wise inflation, August 2026 — a 13.8 percentage-point spread from top to bottom.

Personal care, social protection & misc15.17% 15.17%

Restaurants & accommodation8.38% 8.38%

Food & beverages5.66% 5.66%

Transport4.60% 4.60%

Education services3.73% 3.73%

Clothing & footwear3.56% 3.56%

Housing, water, electricity, fuel2.61% 2.61%

Health1.34% 1.34%

+107.1%

Silver jewellery

+48.3%

Onion

−31.1%

Tomato

What it does to your appraisal

6.2% → 4.1%

India Inc budgeted an average 9.1% increment for 2026 back in January–February, when inflation was 2.74% — a real gain of about 6.2%. At August’s 4.82%, the same raise is worth about 4.1%. Roughly a third of this year’s pay rise has been quietly eaten while you were spending it.

Scroll

Speak to us about the courses

Tell us how to reach you and someone from the team will call, in the language you choose, to work out which course fits where you are — and answer anything on syllabus, schedule or fees.

Inflation has gone up every single month of 2026.

More from Insights

Indian households now owe almost half of GDP.

There is no single inflation rate.

The PF line sat at ₹15,000 for 12 years. It just moved to ₹25,000.