India’s retail inflation rose to 6.09% in October 2026, the highest in two years. The figure is the year-on-year change in the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI, base year 2024) over October 2025, and it is provisional.
It came in above market expectations. A CNBC-TV18 poll had forecast 6% for the month.
Food prices were the bigger surprise. Food inflation, measured by the All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), was 8.94% against a poll estimate of 8.5%.
Key Numbers at a Glance
| Indicator | October 2026 | Poll / Previous |
|---|---|---|
| CPI inflation (YoY, provisional) | 6.09% | CNBC-TV18 poll: 6% |
| Food inflation (CFPI) | 8.94% | CNBC-TV18 poll: 8.5% |
| CPI vs previous month | 6.09% | 5.54% |
| Trend | 2-year high |
Both headline and food inflation beat estimates, and the rise from 5.54% to 6.09% is a sharp one-month jump. Food inflation is almost three percentage points above the headline number, so food prices are the main driver.
Which State Has the Highest Inflation?
The state-wise map shows inflation is uneven. Southern and central India are the hottest zones, with several states in the 7% range:
- Tamil Nadu: 7.29%, the highest among the large states on the map
- Telangana: 7.26%
- Andhra Pradesh: 7.25%
- Madhya Pradesh: 7.19%
- Odisha: 7.17%
- Karnataka: 7.07%
The highest single figure on the map is 7.59%, shown on the west coast. The label sits in a small area, so it may belong to a union territory rather than a full state.
States With Moderate and Lower Inflation
- Uttar Pradesh: 6.47%
- Kerala: 6.22%
- Rajasthan: 5.89%
- Maharashtra: 5.85%
- Gujarat: 5.71%
- West Bengal: 4.66%
- Haryana: 4.38%
- Himachal Pradesh: 4.27%
Inflation is lowest in the North-East and the islands. The lowest figure on the map is 2.85%, in the south of the North-East region, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands show 3.46%.
What This Means
- At a 2-year high of 6.09%, inflation is at the upper end of what the Reserve Bank of India usually tolerates.
- Beating the 6% poll estimate suggests price pressures were underestimated.
- Food inflation at 8.94% will keep household budgets under strain.
- Rising inflation can make it harder for the RBI to cut interest rates soon. That matters for loan EMIs, bond yields and the Sensex and Nifty.
Disclaimer: The figures in this article are provisional and based on the data and state map shared from the official release and market poll data. State names were read from an unlabelled map image, so verify individual state values against the official MoSPI (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) release. This article is for information only and is not financial or investment advice.
