EconomyMonday, 15 June 2026·The Hindu - Economy
WPI inflation rose to 9.7% in May 2026; fuel and food drove the spike
Wholesale inflation climbed to 9.7% in May 2026, with crude oil, natural gas, mineral oils and food pushing prices higher.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On June 15, 2026, the Commerce and Industry Ministry released the new WPI series with 2022-23 as the base year, and the May 2026 wholesale inflation rate was reported at 9.7%.
Key specifics
- Crude oil and natural gas inflation jumped to 61.5% in May 2026, from 56.3% in April 2026.
- Mineral oils inflation rose to 49.8% in May 2026, compared with 40.7% in April 2026.
- Manufactured products inflation increased to 7.5% in May 2026, and 5 categories crossed 10%: tobacco products, textiles, chemicals, basic metals and electrical equipment.
- Food inflation rose to 3.6% in May 2026, after 2.4% in the previous month.
- The new WPI series also released Output PPI, Trial Input PPI and Service PPI for 7 services, including banking and telecom.
Exam lens
Question type: Economy data interpretation and sector-wise inflation. TNPSC one-liner: May 2026 WPI inflation touched 9.7% mainly because of fuel, while the new 2022-23 base series also introduced PPI components.