The general point to point inflation rate dropped 0.54 per cent to 5.48 percentage point in August from the previous month due to the slight decrease in food inflation, according to the official data.
“The general point to point inflation rate slightly eased to 5.48 percentage point in August,” Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said on Thursday.
He said, “The inflation was on the declining trend last month as there was no mismatch in the demand and supply side.” The government was also very vigil in this regard, he added.
The Planning Minister said this while releasing the monthly consumer price index at a ‘Meet the Press’ held at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of the Dhaka on Thursday.
According to the data of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the general point to point inflation rate in July was 5.51 percentage point, eased from 5.54 percentage point in June.
The inflation rate in May was 5.57 percentage point, dropped from 5.63 percentage point in April.
In March, the inflation rate was 5.68 percentage point, while it was 5.72 percentage point in February and 5.88 percentage point in January.
The point to point food inflation declined to 5.97 per cent in August, which was 6.18 per cent in July, said the BBS data.
However, the point to point non-food inflation rate increased to 4.73 per cent in August, up from 4.49 per cent in July.
Besides, the general inflation rate at the urban level in August declined slightly to 6.28 per cent while it was 5.05 per cent at rural level, reports BSS.
At the rural level, the food inflation remained at 5.34 per cent in the last month, which was also 5.34 in July, while the non-food inflation increased to 4.51 per cent in August against 4.49 per cent in July.
In urban areas, food inflation also declined to 7.39 per cent in the previous month of this year, down from 8.08 per cent in July.
The non-food inflation rate in the urban areas, however, witnessed a slight rising trend with 5.04 per cent in the last month which was 4.50 per cent.
The national wage index rate witnessed a 6.38 per cent growth in August with 155.50 point against 6.49 per cent growth with 155.15 point in July, said the report.
The average year-to-year rate of inflation from September 2017 to August 2018 increased to 5.74 per cent, which was 5.50 per cent from September 2016 to August 2017.