Inflation edged up again in January, increasing the cost-of-living pressure on ordinary people, particularly low-income households, according to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The overall inflation rate rose to 8.58 percent in January, up from 8.49 percent in December and 8.29 percent in November, marking a continued upward trend at the start of the new year.
Although the January figure is lower than the 9.94 percent recorded in the same month last year, the rise has added to the financial strain on lower-income groups, who spend a larger share of their earnings on essential goods.
BBS published the updated inflation data on Sunday, showing that prices of daily necessities—particularly food items such as rice, lentils, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, vegetables and meat—continued to remain high.
According to the BBS, food inflation stood at 8.29 percent in January, while non-food inflation was higher at 8.81 percent. Food inflation has now increased for four consecutive months.
In December, food inflation was recorded at 7.71 percent, while it was significantly higher at 10.72 percent in January last year, the data showed.
On the other hand, non-food inflation eased slightly compared to the previous month. It stood at 9.13 percent in December and 9.32 percent in January last year.
Economists say persistent food inflation continues to erode purchasing power, especially for low-income households, despite some easing in year-on-year inflation levels.