Dhaka: With the declining trend of food and non-food inflation rate, the general point-to-point inflation rate in the country eased further to year-low 5.38 percentage point in November down from 5.57 percentage point in October.

"The general point-to-point inflation rate eased further to 5.38 percentage point in November," said Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday, while releasing the monthly consumer price index (CPI) after the Ecnec meeting. The general point-to-point inflation rate in November 2015 was 6.05 percent.

General point-to-point inflation rate, percentage change in the CPI during the last 12 months, in September was 5.53 percent while in August 5.37 percent, in July 5.40 percent, in May 5.45 percent, in April 5.61 percent, in March 5.65 percent and in February it was 5.62 percent.
According to data of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), point-to-point food inflation declined to 5.41 percentage point in November from 5.56 percentage point in October.

The Planning Minister said the inflation rate in the previous month eased further due to the availability and smooth supply chain of both food and non-food items.

He also hoped that the general point-to-point inflation rate will remain within the targeted 5.50 percent this year.

According to the BBS, the average general inflation rate in the last fiscal year was 5.92 percent, which was 6.41 percent in fiscal year 2014-15, 7.35 percent in fiscal year 2013-14, 6.78 percent in fiscal year 2012-13.

The BBS data showed that the point-to-point non-food inflation rate also slightly declined to 5.33 percent in November 2016 down from 5.58 percent in October.

Besides, the general inflation rate at the urban level in November declined to 6.56 percent while it was 4.75 percent at the rural level.

At the rural level, the food inflation slightly declined to 4.83 percent in November, down from 4.89 percent in the previous month, while the non-food inflation declined to 4.60 percent in November as against 4.83 percent in October this year.

In urban areas, the food inflation also declined to 6.74 percent in November, down from 7.09 percent in October. The non-food inflation rate also witnessed declining trend with 6.35 percent in November which was 6.63 percent in October this year.

The point-to-point national wage index witnessed an increasing trend with 6.41 percent in November.

The average year-to-year rate of inflation from December 2015 to November 2016 also declined to 5.60 percent, which was 6.20 percent from December 2014 to November 2015.