Shillong, Oct 19: Meghalaya recorded a consumer inflation rate of 3.59% in September 2026, lower than the national rate of 5.54%, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The state’s rural inflation stood at 3.72%, while urban inflation was 3.22%, indicating that prices rose faster in rural areas.
Meghalaya’s inflation rate was also lower than those of Assam (4.62%) and Manipur (5.10%), but higher than Mizoram (2.85%) and Nagaland (3.22%).
The figures compare prices in September 2026 with those in the same month last year. They are provisional.
Rural inflation higher than urban
Meghalaya’s overall consumer price index stood at 107.69, with the rural index at 108.17 and the urban index at 106.32.
The index tracks changes in the cost of a basket of goods and services consumed by households. While the state’s inflation rate was below the national average, the figures do not mean that every household experienced the same increase in living costs.
Food prices remain a concern
At the national level, food inflation rose to 7.74% in September, compared with 5.97% in August.
Onion prices recorded year-on-year inflation of 108.09%, while ginger prices rose 62.85%, garlic 54.62% and lemon 36.41%.
These are all-India figures and do not necessarily reflect the price increases experienced in Meghalaya’s markets. Local prices can vary depending on supply, transport costs and market conditions.
The national CPI release also showed inflation of 9.36% in restaurant and accommodation services, while personal care and miscellaneous goods and services recorded 13.75%.
