Delhi inflation rate lower than other metros: Government report
NEW DELHI: The inflation rate in Delhi remained substantially lower than in other metro cities and the national average last year, especially in the fuel and light group, according to a government report. The report prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics of the Delhi government, however, showed that the inflation rate rose in the food & beverages and housing sectors. The report assessed the Consumer Price Index (Industrial Workers IW) between Delhi and 14 other metros. These were Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Amritsar and Lucknow. The report said that during 2024-25, CPI (IW), Kolkata, recorded the highest increase (3.6 per cent) while it was (3.4 per cent) at the All India level, followed by Mumbai (3.0 per cent), Delhi (1.8 per cent), and no change was observed in the case of Chennai. Among the selected cities assessed by the report, Delhi had the third lowest Consumer Price Index (IW) for the 2024 calendar year and the fifth lowest Consumer Price Index (IW) for the financial year 2024-25 out of the selected 15 major cities, while Lucknow and Chandigarh had the maximum Consumer Price Index (IW). A Consumer Price Index (CPI) is designed to measure changes over time in the general level of retail prices of selected goods and services that households purchase for consumption. In 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, Delhi had lower inflation rates than All India. However, in 2022, Delhi had a higher inflation rate than All India. Last year, the inflation rate in Delhi was 1.7 per cent, and at the national level, it was 3.8 per cent. Inflation in Delhi, as measured by the CPI (IW), has ranged from 1.7 per cent to 8 per cent from 2020 to 2024. The price rise was recorded at 1.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 3.7 per cent in 2023. In the food and beverages group, an inflation rate of 5.6 per cent was observed in 2024, compared with 4.6 per cent in 2023. In the paan, supari, tobacco and intoxicant group, no variation was recorded in 2024, whereas the inflation rate was 3.7 per cent in 2023. However, the report observed that the inflation rate stood at 1.3 per cent in 2024, down from 5.1 per cent the previous year. In the housing group, an inflation rate of 3.1 per cent was observed in 2024, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2023. In the fuel and light group, a negative inflation rate of 20.1 per cent was observed in 2024, compared with 3.7 per cent in 2023. The miscellaneous group consists of items falling under the categories of medicines, medical services, education services, stationery, recreation, transport and communication, personal care effects, household requisites and other services -- hair cutting, tailoring, etc. In the miscellaneous group, Delhi recorded an inflation rate of 0.1 per cent, compared with 3.5 per cent in 2023.