Food inflation in Bangladesh surged to 12.66 per cent in October, following a slight decline in September. This significant increase means consumers are now paying an additional Tk 12.66 for every Tk 100 spent on food compared to the previous year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Thursday.
The data highlights rising prices across essential items, including rice, pulses, oil, salt, fish, meat, vegetables, spices, and tobacco, which drove food inflation up from 10.40 per cent last month.
Overall inflation in October stood at 10.87 per cent, up from 9.92 per cent in September. However, slight reductions were observed in prices for housing, furniture, home appliances, medical services, transportation, and educational materials, bringing non-food inflation down to 9.34 per cent from 9.50 per cent.
Food inflation had previously peaked at 14.10 per cent in July amid widespread protests that disrupted supply chains and cut off Dhaka from other regions. In August, food inflation hit 12.54 per cent, marking a 12-year high, last seen in October 2011 at 12.82 per cent.
Current inflation trends underscore persistent challenges for consumers, as food prices remain heavily impacted by supply issues and demand pressures.
