KATHMANDU: Inflation has increased to 6.82 per cent in the first six months of the current fiscal year owing to mainly increase in the prices of consumable goods in the market.
The year-on-year (y-o-y) consumer price inflation stood at 6.82 per cent in mid-January 2020 compared to 4.58 per cent a year ago.
Food and beverage inflation stood at 10.21 percent whereas non-food and service inflation stood at 4.25 per cent in the review month, according to the macroeconomic and financial situation report of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) published Sunday.
Within the food and beverage group, prices of vegetables, spices, pulses and legumes and fruits sub-groups rose significantly in the review month.
Likewise, within the non-food and service group, the prices of education, clothes and footwear, and furnishing and household equipment subgroups rose moderately in the review month.
In the review month, the Kathmandu Valley witnessed 7.24 per cent inflation followed by 7.46 per cent in the Terai, 5.39 per cent in the Hill and 5.01 per cent in the Mountain.
These regions had witnessed 5.15 percent, 4.02 per cent, 4.92 per cent and 4.48 per cent inflation respectively a year ago.
The y-o-y consumer price inflation in Nepal in the review month and in India (January 2020) stood at 6.82 per cent and 7.59 per cent respectively, NRB said.
The y-o-y wholesale price inflation stood at 7.88 per cent in the review month compared to 6.04 per cent a year ago.
In the review month, price of food under primary group and prices of food, beverage and tobacco, and leather and leather products under manufactured group rose significantly.
The y-o-y prices of consumption goods, intermediate goods and capital goods increased by 10.20 per cent, 7.58 per cent and 2.50 per cent respectively.
The wholesale price of construction materials dropped by 5.06 per cent in the review month.
The y-o-y salary and wage rate index increased to 10.04 per cent in the review month compared to 9.30 per cent a year ago.
In the review month, salary index and wage rate index increased to 13.56 per cent and 9.06 per cent respectively.
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