Consumer price index for agricultural and rural labour for September 2022 were released today.
The base for this index is 1986-87.
| Group | Agricultural Labourers | |
| August, 2022 | September, 2022 | |
| General Index | 1140 | 1149 |
| Food | 1069 | 1079 |
| Pan, Supari, etc. | 1919 | 1919 |
| Fuel & Light | 1267 | 1274 |
| Clothing, Bedding &Footwear | 1198 | 1206 |
| Miscellaneous | 1200 | 1205 |
As we can see, this basket is made up of things and categories actually used by our group.
The highest increase is in food, followed by clothing, bedding, and footwear.
| Group | Rural Labourers | |
| August, 2022 | September, 2022 | |
| General Index | 1152 | 1161 |
| Food | 1077 | 1087 |
| Pan, Supari, etc. | 1929 | 1928 |
| Fuel & Light | 1259 | 1266 |
| Clothing, Bedding &Footwear | 1235 | 1243 |
| Miscellaneous | 1206 | 1211 |
In this graph, while most numbers are the same as agricultural labour, the prices of pan, supari, etc. have dropped a very little. The highest increase is in food, followed by clothing, bedding, and footwear.
What do these numbers really mean?
How expensive is it to be an agricultural/rural labourer in India. That is the question being answered by these numbers.
How do the states fare?
Tamil Nadu, at 1312, is the most expensive state in India. The other states that are above the national average of 1140/1152 are:
Rajasthan
Punjab
Meghalaya
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Kerala
Haryana
Gujarat
Andhra Pradesh
Question for you
What else do you notice in these numbers?