State-wise Inflation Rates of India for April 2026 (Based on CPI)

The inflation rates in India are published by the Government of India every month. The MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION has also released the above data for April. According to MOSPI, the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) base year 2024 has become 3.48% (provisional) in April 2026 as compared to the previous year (April 2025). 

It measures the increase or decrease in prices of ordinary goods such as food, clothing, rent in houses, medicines, etc., over the time period. So, let’s explore state-wise inflation rates of India for April 2026, which is based on the CPI in this article.

What Is CPI and Why Does It Matter?

CPI, or the Consumer Price Index, is the economic metric which is used to measure the overall changes in the prices of goods and services which are bought by people in everyday life. It is a number that shows how expensive things have become compared to a base period. The current base year is 2024. 

The CSO mentions: “The Consumer Price Index or CPI, measures the overall change in the prices of goods and services that people typically buy over time. It does this by collecting approximately 53,000 prices every month and comparing these to the corresponding prices from the previous month. As everyone has differing tastes and spending habits, the CPI measures prices for a huge assortment of items. Not only does the CPI measure price changes for goods, but also for services e.g. hairdressing, taxi fares, insurance etc. This collection of items is normally referred to as the basket of goods and services.”

An increase in the CPI indicates that prices are increasing and your money will buy fewer items. When it goes down, it gets cheaper. The inflation rate is an indicator of the percentage of change in CPI over the previous month.

India's Overall CPI Inflation in April 2026

Source: mospi

According to the MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION:

1. All India CPI inflation (April 2026): 3.48% (Provisional)

2. Rural inflation: 3.74%

3. Urban inflation: 3.16%

4. Food inflation (CFPI): 4.20%

5. Housing inflation: 2.15%

This represents a marginal increase from March 2026 when the national inflation rate was 3.40%. The CPI index for April 2026 stands at 105.12 (base year 2024=100).

The inflation rate in rural areas is higher than in urban areas. This is primarily due to the greater effect food prices have on rural households.

State-wise Inflation Rates of India for April 2026 (Based on CPI)

Source: mospi

The government has released the list of the top 5 states having the highest inflation out of those states having a population of more than 50 lakh (according to the 2011 census). The following are the top 5 states with the highest CPI inflation in April 2026:

Telangana is at the top with the highest inflation of 5.81%. This is a trend since the new CPI base year (2024=100) was used in early 2026. Food prices contribute to that, and southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are among the top five.

Items That Got Cheaper in April 2026

In April 2026, some key food items saw a decrease in their prices, thereby providing some relief for commoners:

Items That Got More Expensive in April 2026

However, there were some items that increased significantly in price:

Rural vs Urban Inflation: April 2026

One important fact from this month's data is that rural India is facing higher inflation than urban India.

1. Rural CPI Inflation: 3.74%

2. Urban CPI Inflation: 3.16%

3. Rural Food Inflation: 4.26%

4. Urban Food Inflation: 4.10%

This gap occurs because the villagers have to allocate more of their income on food. Rural families are more strongly affected by increases in food prices.

Key Facts About April 2026 Inflation Data

1. This data was obtained from 1,407 urban markets and 1,465 villages in all states and union territories in India.

2. In April 2026, the price collection rate was almost 100% for both rural and urban markets.

3. The CPI base was recently changed from 2012=100 to 2024=100.

4. The next CPI data (for May 2026) will be released on 12 June 2026.

The state-wise inflation rates of India for April 2026, based on CPI, show that the Telangana inflation rate is highest at 5.81% and the national inflation rate is 3.48%. The primary factors are food prices, albeit with the exception of the fall in prices of vegetables such as potatoes and onions. Rural India continues to be worse hit by inflation than urban India. This information is gathered and released by the government monthly to provide people and policymakers with an indication of the trend of price changes in the country.