Retail inflation rose to 6.3 per cent in May this year, mainly on account of higher prices of food and energy items. Retail inflation for May hit a six-month high. As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data released today, the food inflation, increased to 5.01 per cent in May as compared to 1.96 per cent in April.
 
The CPI inflation had eased to a three-month low of 4.23 per cent in the month of April on the back of reduction in food prices.
 
RBI maintains retail inflation at four per cent with margin of 2 per cent on either side. After five months, the CPI data in May has overshot the Reserve Bank's upper margin of 6 per cent.
 
On the other hand, the wholesale price-based inflation, WPI, hit a record high of 12.94 per cent in May this year. A high WPI has been witnessed mainly due to low-base effect as WPI in May last year was -3.37 per cent. Rising crude oil and manufactured goods contributed to the spike in WPI for May this year. Effects of supply-side blockage due to the impact of the local lockdowns in May also pushed Wholesale prices up.
 
According to the data released today by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in May this year, Inflation in fuel and power surged by 37.6 per cent. On the other hand, WPI in manufactured products, having the highest weightage, rose by 10.8 per cent. For primary articles inflation rose by 9.6 per cent.
 
WPI logged a rising trend for the fifth month in a row. In April this year WPI inflation was 10.49 per cent.