The Ministry of Labour & Employment on April 30th , 2024 has released the All-India Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) for March 2025. Both indices recorded a decline, with the CPI-AL falling by 3 points to 1306 and CPI-RL dropping by 2 points to 1319, compared to the previous month.
Notably, the year-on-year inflation based on these indices has cooled significantly. In March 2025, CPI-AL inflation was at 3.73%, and CPI-RL inflation stood at 3.86%—both considerably lower than the 7.15% and 7.08% recorded in March 2024, respectively.
📊 All-India CPI Group-wise Data (Base: 1986-87 = 100)
| Group | Agricultural Labourers | Rural Labourers | ||
| Feb 2025 | Mar 2025 | Feb 2025 | Mar 2025 | |
| General Index | 1309 | 1306 | 1321 | 1319 |
| Food | 1242 | 1234 | 1249 | 1241 |
| Pan, Supari, etc. | 2118 | 2138 | 2125 | 2145 |
| Fuel & Light | 1391 | 1400 | 1380 | 1389 |
| Clothing, Bedding & Footwear | 1336 | 1341 | 1402 | 1407 |
| Miscellaneous | 1390 | 1395 | 1389 | 1395 |
The decline in food prices played a significant role in the overall drop, while categories like Pan, Supari, etc., Fuel & Light, and Clothing showed moderate increases. These figures reflect easing inflationary pressures in rural India, offering some relief to the agricultural and rural workforce.
