Bangladesh’s overall inflation rate eased further to 9.34 per cent in February, driven by a decline in food prices in both rural and urban areas, reaching an 11-month low.

According to the latest Consumer Price Index update released on Thursday by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, food inflation fell to 9.24 per cent, slipping below double digits for the first time since March 2024.

Over the past 10 months, food inflation had remained above 10 per cent, peaking at 14.10 per cent in August amid severe supply disruptions following the abrupt end of the Awami League regime due to mass uprisings.

The BSS update also showed that the rate of food inflation in rural areas was recorded at 9.5 per cent in February, compared with 10.18 per cent in January.

In urban areas, the BBS recorded food inflation at 9.47 per cent in February down from 10.95 per cent in January mainly due to good supply of winter vegetables despite price hikes of soya bean oil.

The non-food inflation in both rural and urban areas has been remained almost unchanged in February.

The BBS update showed that the overall inflation recorded in February had been lowest in 22 months.

Available data showed that the overall inflation was 9.24 per cent in April 2023.

The interim government assumed power in August is giving emphasis on improving supply situation and the tightening money supply.

On February 9, a finance division report on overall economy submitted to the chief adviser Muhammad Yunus expected that the overall inflation might come down to 8 per cent in June.

The report still identified the inflation among the major economic worries.

The BBS data showed that average inflation over the past 12 months, from March 2024 to February 2025, stood at 10.30 per cent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is supporting the government with a $4.7 billion loan programme to stabilise macroeconomic indicators left in poor condition by the previous Awami League regime, has projected overall inflation to remain at 11 per cent in FY25, ending in June.

However, the IMF expects inflation to decline to 5 per cent in FY26.