Inflation eases slightly in July: Govt data

The country’s point-to-point inflation declined to 0.8 percentage point in July compared to June because of falling prices of some commodities.

Planning Minister MA Mannan disclosed the inflation data for July, the first month of current fiscal 2022-23, at his office in Dhaka on Wednesday.

He said that the country’s inflation rate on a point-to-point basis declined to 7.48 percent in July, down from 7.56 percent in June.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), food inflation decreased to 8.19 percent from 8.37 percent.

However, non-food inflation increased slightly to 6.39 percent from 6.33 percent.

Citing the BBS data, the planning minister said that the prices of food items like wheat, flour, broiler chicken, vegetables like snake gourd, ridged gourd, pointed gourd, spine gourd, edible oil like soybean and palm oil, spices like onion, cinnamon, turmeric and non-food items like bottled gas cylinder, gold and other declined in July.

Besides, the prices of food items like potato, bottle gourd, eggplant, string bean, ginger, garlic and green chilli, and non-food items like clothes, dress and shoes and medicine items went up in July, said the minister.                            

In rural areas, the inflation of common items increased to 8.09 percent from 8.02 percent, food inflation increased to 8.93 percent from 8.79 percent, and non-food inflation declined to 6.51 percent from 6.58 percent.

In urban areas, the inflation of common products increased to 6.62 percent from 6.51 percent.

The food inflation rose to.11 percent from 6.87 percent. And the inflation of non-food items eased to 6.08 percent from 6.15 percent.