Despite the perception that living, eating, and commuting in the national capital is expensive, Delhi’s inflation rate is actually lower than that of several major metro cities and other large cities in India. A new government report reveals that Delhi’s inflation is significantly lower than in 15 other major cities across the country. Notably, this information comes from an official government analysis, not a private study. Compared to cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and other NCR regions, Delhi has recorded a much lower inflation rate. Here are the details of the report.

Inflation in Delhi lower than in 15 cities
A report by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Economics and Statistics states that the capital’s inflation rate in the last financial year was lower than in other metro cities as well as the national average. This decline was particularly noticeable in the fuel and power category. However, inflation increased in the food and beverages and housing segments.

The report compared the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) of Delhi with that of 14 other cities: Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Amritsar, and Lucknow.

Delhi’s inflation lower than Kolkata and Mumbai
In 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, Delhi’s inflation rate remained below the national average. The only exception was 2022, when Delhi’s inflation was higher than India’s average.

Last year, Delhi recorded an inflation rate of 1.7 percent, while the national average stood at 3.8 percent. According to the CPI-IW index, Delhi’s inflation has ranged between 1.7 percent and 8 percent from 2020 to 2024.

In 2024, Delhi’s inflation was 1.7 percent, compared to 3.7 percent in 2023. In the food and beverages category, inflation rose to 5.6 percent in 2024 from 4.6 percent in 2023. In the category of betel leaf, betel nut, tobacco, and narcotics, no change was recorded in 2024, whereas in 2023, the inflation rate for this group was 3.7 percent.