Statistics Ministry unveils modernised Consumer Price Index to track inflation
Food’s CPI weight drops sharply to 36.8 percent in 2024 as Indian households shift spending away from groceries
By Samreen Wani
Last Updated: Feb 01, 2026, 11:18 IST1 min
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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has announced the new CPI 2024 series with an expanded market coverage and enhanced digital infrastructure to capture evolving household spending patterns, according to the Expert Group Report on Comprehensive Updation of CPI.
The new series which will release on February 12 will reflect the change in household consumption patterns, with the weight for food and beverages declining from 45.9 percent to 36.8 percent between 2012 and 2024, marking the most significant change in the inflation basket’s composition. The 9.1 percentage point reduction in food’s share reflects rising incomes and diversifying consumption habits across Indian households.
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels costs have emerged as the second-largest gainer, with the category’s weight rising from 16.9 percent to 17.7 percent. The revision also extends house rent index compilation to rural areas for the first time, using Census 2011 data for dwelling type weights instead of the previous Housing Condition Survey. Under the revised framework, six rented dwellings are selected per rural village, compared to 12 per urban market. The revised Index has streamlined how housing costs are measured, replacing a fragmented three-method approach with a single standardised method, bringing greater clarity to how housing inflation is tracked and reported.
Transport’s weight edged up marginally to 8.8 percent, while health increased to 6.1 percent, suggesting growing household expenditure on mobility and health care. Conversely, education services declined to 3.3 percent from 4.5 percent.
First Published: Feb 01, 2026, 11:38
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