Bangladesh’s inflation rate eased slightly in September but continued to hover above 9%, indicating the persistence of high prices since March 2023. The September Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 9.92%, down from 10.49% in August, according to data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) today.

The decrease in inflation was driven by a slowdown in both food and non-food price growth. Food prices, which had surged earlier, grew slower than 10.4% in September, down from 11.36% in August. Non-food inflation also moderated slightly, rising by 9.5% last month, compared to 9.74% in the previous month.

Inflation has remained stubbornly high despite these improvements, staying above 9% since March 2023. The Bangladesh Bank has implemented several measures to curb inflation, including multiple hikes in policy rates and allowing the market to set interest rates.

Last week, the central bank raised the policy, or repo rate, by 50 basis points to 9.50% to combat rising prices.

The CPI, which tracks the changes in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services, reflects the challenges faced by the government and the central bank in stabilizing inflation. Although the recent rate hikes have aimed to rein in inflation, the persistent pressure on food and non-food prices suggests that more targeted efforts may be needed.