Inflation in Bangladesh dropped to 9.92% in September, marking a 57 basis points decline from August's 10.49%, according to data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Wednesday (2 October).
The decrease in inflation has been attributed to reduced pressure on food and non-food prices across both urban and rural regions, contributing to a consecutive two-month reduction since July, the BBS report, made public on Wednesday, stated.
The report further revealed that food inflation stood at 10.40% in September, a decrease of 96 basis points from 11.36% in August.
Meanwhile, non-food inflation experienced a more moderate decline, falling by 24 basis points from 9.74% in August to 9.50% in September.
A regional analysis of the data showed that rural areas faced inflation of 10.15% in September, significantly lower than the 10.95% recorded in August.
Inflation in urban areas also saw a reduction, dropping to 10.38% in September from 10.01% in August.
However, the 12-month moving average inflation rose to 9.97%, compared to 9.27% over the same period last year.
BBS compiles point-to-point inflation each month for both rural and urban areas, using the prices of food and non-food commodities to measure changes in the cost of living.
An inflation rate of 9.92% in September indicates that a basket of commodities that cost Tk100 in September last year would now cost Tk109.92.
As a result, individuals with fixed incomes have experienced a decline in purchasing power, having to buy 10.49% fewer goods to maintain their standard of living.
BBS report noted a slight increase in wages for unskilled workers, with the wage rate index rising by 8.01% during the same period.
