Inflation has increased for three consecutive months as in January of this year, the overall inflation rate rose to 8.58 per cent.
Inflation had also risen in December and November.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Sunday released the inflation data for the month of January.
In December, the overall inflation rate was 8.49 per cent. Prior to that, in November, inflation had increased to 8.29 per cent.
As a result, the pressure on middle-income and low-income people has intensified.
On the other hand, after the election, the new government will face an inflation rate of over 8.5 per cent, which experts believe will pose a significant challenge to reduce.
According to BBS calculations, food inflation in January was 8.29 per cent, while non-food inflation was 8.81 per cent. Food inflation has increased for four consecutive months.
High inflation has persisted in the country for three years. The average inflation rate in 2025 was 8.77 per cent.
How inflation affects:
Inflation is like a form of tax. Your entire monthly income is spent on running the household. However, if prices suddenly rise and your income does not increase accordingly, you will have to run your household on debt or cut back on various expenses like food, clothing, and transportation.
If wage or income growth is less than inflation, the hardship for the common people increases, and real income declines.
BBS reports that the national wage growth rate in January was 8.08 per cent. This means that the rate of wage growth was lower than the inflation rate.
Conversely, a decrease in the inflation rate does not imply a decrease in prices. It simply means that the rate of price increase in that particular month was somewhat less compared to other months.
For example, if in January 2025, it cost you Tk 100 to purchase goods and services from the market, and in January of the following year, i.e., 2026, with an inflation rate of 8.58 per cent, it means you would spend Tk 108 and 58 paisa to purchase the same goods and services. Your expenses increased by Tk 8 and 58 paisa for every Tk 100.