In a major statistical overhaul, the Ministry of Labour & Employment, through the Labour Bureau, has announced the revision of the base year for Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) from 1986-87 to 2019=100.
This long-awaited revision is designed to better reflect current consumption patterns, improve data accuracy, and align with international best practices.
🔍 What’s Changed in the New Series?
The revised CPI-AL and CPI-RL indices are now based on data collected from 787 sample villages across 34 States and Union Territories, up from 600 villages in 20 states earlier. Some of the major changes include:
- New Base Year: Shifted from agricultural year 1986–87 to calendar year 2019=100.
- Updated Consumption Patterns: Based on the 68th Round of NSS Household Consumption Survey (2011–12) instead of the 1983 survey.
- Revised Weighting Diagram: Reflects decreased food weight and increased importance of services, education, and health.
- Increased Item Coverage: From ~65–106 items earlier to 150–200 items at the state level.
- Improved Index Methodology:
- Uses Geometric Mean instead of Arithmetic Mean for more stable data.
- Follows the COICOP-2018 classification, a UN-standard for consumption categories.
📈 Key CPI Figures for June 2025
| Index Type | May 2025 | June 2025 | Change |
| CPI-AL | 133.09 | 134.08 | 0.99 |
| CPI-RL | 133.42 | 134.37 | 0.95 |
| Food AL | 132.36 | 133.74 | 1.38 |
| Food RL | 132.60 | 133.93 | 1.33 |
🔻 Inflation Trends (YoY as of June 2025)
- CPI-AL Inflation: 1.42% (down from 2.40% in May)
- CPI-RL Inflation: 1.73% (down from 2.29% in May)
- Food Inflation:
- CPI-AL: -0.87%
- CPI-RL: -0.43%
🗺️ State-Wise Highlights
- Highest AL Inflation: Manipur (5.84%), Punjab (4.58%), Mizoram (4.43%)
- Lowest/Negative Inflation: Odisha (-1.09%), Telangana (-1.07%), Daman & Diu (-1.62%)
- All-India Inflation:
- AL: 1.42%
- RL: 1.73%
🔗 Linking Factor for Old vs. New Series
To ensure continuity, linking factors have been provided for converting old series (1986–87=100) values to the new base (2019=100). For example:
| Group | CPI-AL | CPI-RL |
| Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages | 9.10 | 9.15 |
| Clothing & Footwear | 9.30 | 9.70 |
| All-India General Index | 9.69 | 9.78 |
📦 Category Weights (New vs. Old)
| Group | Old AL (%) | New AL (%) | Old RL (%) | New RL (%) |
| Food & Beverages | 69.15 | 57.88 | 66.77 | 56.61 |
| Miscellaneous | 11.73 | 21.90 | 11.87 | 23.49 |
| Clothing & Footwear | 6.98 | 7.25 | 9.76 | 7.29 |
📆 Release Calendar
The Labour Bureau confirmed that future CPI-AL/RL reports will follow the revised base year (2019=100). The next CPI data for July 2025 will be released on August 20, 2025.
📍 For detailed reports and state-level data, visit: www.labourbureau.gov.in