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.

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Inflation has gone up every single month of 2026.

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