Cooling prices, uneven relief: Inflation at 12-year low, but gaps widen across states and rural India

India's retail inflation hit a 12-year low of 2.2% in 2025, with food prices entering deflation. Despite the national easing, 17 states and union territories experienced inflation above the average, and rural areas saw higher pressure than urban centers. Goa recorded the most significant rural-urban inflation disparity.