Households see easing in price pressures of major food and non-food products: RBI survey

NEW DELHI: Households in the country reported easing of price and inflationary pressures in the latest round of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) bi-monthly Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH). The September 2025 round of the survey indicated moderation in expected price rise across key product categories, though current inflation perception edged slightly higher.

It stated “Households reported easing of price and inflationary pressures in major product groups including food products, non-food products, housing and cost of services”. The survey, conducted between August 28 and September 06 across 19 major cities, received 6,082 responses.

According to the findings, households’ perception of current median inflation increased marginally by 20 basis points to 7.4 per cent compared with the previous round. However, expectations for the near term showed a decline. Inflation expectations for the next three months dropped by 20 basis points to 8.1 per cent, while one-year ahead expectations fell by 30 basis points to 8.7 per cent.

For both short-term and one-year horizons, the share of respondents expecting a rise in general prices and inflation declined compared with the last survey round. In product-wise assessment, 77.8 per cent of respondents anticipated a price rise in the next three months, lower than 79.5 per cent in the previous survey.

Similarly, 86.8 per cent of households expected prices to increase over a one-year period, compared with 88.1 per cent earlier. Across age groups, younger respondents up to 25 years reported the lowest current perception of inflation at 7.0 per cent.

In contrast, households above 60 years reflected a higher level of 7.9 per cent. Among cities, Kolkata recorded the highest perception of current inflation at 10.5 per cent, followed by Mumbai at 8.5 per cent and Delhi at 8.0 per cent.

The RBI clarified that the survey provides directional insights into household views on inflation, shaped by their consumption patterns. However, it noted that the results do not necessarily represent the central bank’s own assessment of inflation trends. (ANI)