New Delhi: The wholesale price-based inflation declined to 13.56 per cent in December mainly due to softening of fuel prices, power and manufacturing prices but remains in double digits due to the higher food prices. The WPI was 14.23 per cent in November.
"The high rate of inflation in December 2021 is primarily due to rise in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum & natural gas, chemicals and chemical products, food products, textile and paper and paper products etc as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year," the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement.
Inflation in manufactured items was lower at 10.62 per cent in December, against 11.92 per cent in the previous month. In fuel and power basket the rate of price rise was 32.30 per cent in December, against 39.81 per cent in November.
Inflation in food articles, however, witnessed an uptick on a month-on-month basis at 9.56 per cent in December, against 4.88 per cent in November. Vegetable price rise rate spiked to 31.56 per cent, against 3.91 per cent in the previous month.