Food prices pull inflation down

Bangladesh’s point-to-point general inflation eased slightly to 8.71 per cent in March 2026, down from 9.13 per cent in February, according to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The decline was largely driven by a reduction in food prices, although non-food inflation recorded a marginal increase during the same period.

BBS data showed that food inflation dropped to 8.24 per cent in March from 9.30 per cent in February, indicating some relief in essential commodity prices. In contrast, non-food inflation rose slightly to 9.09 per cent from 9.01 per cent in the previous month.

Both rural and urban areas experienced a modest decline in overall inflation, reflecting a gradual easing of price pressures across the country.

In rural areas, general point-to-point inflation stood at 8.72 per cent in March, down from 9.21 per cent in February, although it remained lower than the 9.41 per cent recorded in March 2025.

Rural food inflation fell to 8.02 per cent from 9.07 per cent, while non-food inflation edged up to 9.38 per cent from 9.34 per cent.

In March 2025, rural food and non-food inflation were 8.81 per cent and 9.97 per cent respectively.

Urban areas also recorded a similar trend. General inflation declined to 8.68 per cent in March from 9.07 per cent in February.

Food inflation in urban areas dropped significantly to 8.78 per cent from 9.87 per cent, while non-food inflation increased slightly to 8.62 per cent from 8.57 per cent.

In January 2025, urban food and non-food inflation were recorded at 9.18 per cent and 9.95 per cent respectively, indicating that price pressures have eased over the past year.

The latest figures suggest that falling food prices have contributed to a modest improvement in the inflation outlook, although persistently high non-food inflation continues to pose challenges for overall price stability.