Bangladesh's inflation slightly eased in December, with overall inflation dropping by 0.49 percentage points and food inflation by 0.88 percentage points, providing some relief to consumers.
According to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Monday (January 6), overall inflation in December stood at 10.89%, down from 11.38% in November.
Food inflation, a significant contributor to the country's rising cost of living throughout the past year, dropped to 12.92% in December, compared to 13.80% in November.
Read: Inflation in Bangladesh climbs to 11.38% in Nov
Non-food inflation also saw a marginal decline, decreasing from 9.39% in November to 9.26% in December.
Rural and Urban Trends
Inflation trends varied slightly between rural and urban areas. In rural regions, overall inflation dropped by 0.44 percentage points to 11.09% in December.
Read: Inflation overshadows Bangladesh’s economic stride in 2024
Among this, food inflation stood at 12.63%, while non-food inflation reached 9.65%.
In urban areas, overall inflation declined by 0.53 percentage points, settling at 10.84% in December. Food inflation in cities was reported at 13.56%, with non-food inflation at 9.17%.
This fall in inflation offers some relief to households across the country, although rates remain high, particularly for food items, said economists, urging policymakers to focus on stabilising prices further to ensure economic resilience in the months ahead.