Consumer Price Index for Labour Analyzed

The Ministry of Labour & Employment, through its Labour Bureau, recently shared some important information about how much things cost for farm workers and those working in rural areas. This information is shown using something called a Consumer Price Index, or CPI. It helps us understand if prices are going up or down.

Key Points

• CPI AL & RL measures the cost of goods for laborers.
• December 2025 saw slight price decreases for all labor groups.
• Food prices dropped significantly, impacting the overall CPI values.
• Inflation rates remained very low for agricultural and rural labor.
• December 2025’s year-on-year inflation was just 0.04% and 0.11%.
• Negative food inflation indicates price drops in food items.

December 2025 CPI Results

In December 2025, the main number for Agricultural Labourers (CPI AL) went down a tiny bit, changing from 137.12 to 137.12. The Rural Labourers (CPI RL) also saw a small decrease, going from 137.03 to 137.03. These changes are tracked using the base year of 2019=100, which means we compare prices to what they were in 2019.

Food Price Changes

A big part of the CPI is based on food prices. During December 2025, the food prices went down quite a bit for both groups. The Food Index decreased by 0.70 points for Agricultural Labourers and 0.70 points for Rural Labourers.

Inflation Rates

The inflation rate tells us how quickly prices are rising. In December 2025, inflation was very low for agricultural workers (0.04%) and rural workers (0.11%). This means prices weren’t increasing much at all.

Food Inflation – A Negative Number

It’s interesting to note that the food inflation rate was actually negative (-1.80% for Agricultural Labourers and -1.73% for Rural Labourers) in December 2025. This means that the prices of food items actually went down, which pushed the overall CPI numbers lower.

Understanding these changes is vital for ensuring fair wages and economic stability for vulnerable worker populations.