KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 16

The consumer inflation decreased to 3.85 per cent within mid-August to mid-September (the month of Bhadra) of the current fiscal year 2024/25.

There has been a notable decline in the inflation from the 8.19 per cent recorded in the review period in last fiscal year, the Nepal Rastra Bank stated today in the Current Macroeconomic and Financial Situation of Nepal.

The inflation rate of food and beverage has remained 5.03 per cent during the review period. These groups had significantly higher inflation rate with food and beverage group's inflation rate at 9.77 per cent and non-food group's inflation rate at 7.19 per cent during the corresponding year.

Similarly, under the food and beverage group, the annual price index of pulses and legumes rose by 10.80 per cent while vegetables increased by 9.84 per cent.

Other notable increase included food items at 9.30 per cent and fruits at 4.94 per cent, the statistics unveiled. On the contrary, the consumer price index for spices' sub-group has fallen to 2.69 per cent.

Likewise, in the non-food and service group, the consumer price index for miscellaneous goods and services has gone up by 8.71 per cent, followed by alcoholic beverages by 6.76 per cent, clothing and footwear by 6.08 per cent and home appliances by 4.88 per cent, as per the statistics. There were, however, no changes in the price index for insurance and financial services, according to the statistic.

Similarly, in the review month, the consumer price index of rural areas has increased. By 4.04 per cent while the same for urban area has spiked by 3.78 per cent.

Moreover, the inflation rate varied Province-wise with Koshi Province recording the highest inflation rate at 4.66 per cent and Bagmati Province having the lowest at 3.29 per cent, it was shared. The Kathmandu Valley's consumer inflation rate is now at 3.49 per cent, down from last year's 9.83 per cent.

Furthermore, the annual wholesale inflation this year within mid-August to mid-September stands at 2.75 per cent against 4.78 per cent during the same period last fiscal year.

The wholesale inflation rate for construction materials has decreased by 4.22 per cent in the review month.