Inflation in Bangladesh increased to 9.89 per cent in May from 9.74 per cent in April, reaching its highest level in the last seven months, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), released on Monday.

In October, 2023, the inflation rate was 9.93 per cent.

According to the BBS data, food inflation jumped by 54 basis points to 10.76 per cent in May from 10.22 per cent in April, while non-food inflation slipped 15 basis points to 9.19 per cent from 9.34 per cent in April.

Food inflation has remained in the double digits for the last two months.

In November last year, food inflation was 10.76 per cent, but it dipped below 10 per cent in December.

At the urban level, the general inflation rate in May increased to 9.72 per cent, while at the rural level, it was 9.99 per cent.

In rural areas, food inflation rose to 10.73 per cent in May, up from 10.25 per cent in the previous month, while non-food inflation declined to 9.31 per cent in May from 9.60 per cent in April.

In urban areas, food inflation increased to 10.86 per cent in May, up from 10.19 per cent in April.

The non-food inflation rate also showed a slight increase, reaching 9.03 per cent in May compared to 9.01 per cent in April.

The national wage index rate saw a 9.89 per cent growth in May, reaching 122.04 points, compared to a 9.74 percent growth with 122.30 points in April.