The All-India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) witnessed a decline in January 2025, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Labour & Employment. The CPI-AL dropped by four points to 1316, while the CPI-RL decreased by three points to 1328.
Year-on-year inflation rates based on CPI-AL and CPI-RL for January 2025 stood at 4.61% and 4.73%, respectively. This reflects a sharp decline from 7.52% and 7.37% in January 2024. In comparison, December 2024 had recorded inflation rates of 5.01% for CPI-AL and 5.05% for CPI-RL, showing a consistent downward trend.
The category-wise breakdown reveals that the food index for agricultural labourers decreased from 1262 in December 2024 to 1255 in January 2025, while the index for rural labourers fell from 1269 to 1261 during the same period. Conversely, certain groups saw an increase, including fuel & light (from 1382 to 1390 for agricultural labourers and from 1372 to 1380 for rural labourers), as well as clothing, bedding, and footwear.
The government continues to monitor inflation trends affecting agricultural and rural labourers, with the latest data reflecting moderating inflation compared to the previous year.
