Rice and fish drive food inflation in October, while vegetables help ease price pressures: Report
Rice alone accounted for nearly half of total food inflation, according to the Economic Update and Outlook report by the Planning Commission’s General Economics Division.
Rice and fish remained the major drivers of food inflation in Bangladesh in October, although sharply lower vegetable prices helped counterbalance the overall upward pressure, according to the latest Economic Update and Outlook released today (1 December).
According to the report, by the Planning Commission's General Economics Division (GED), rice alone accounted for nearly half of total food inflation, contributing 47.01% in October – slightly lower than in September but still by far the largest single driver.
Medium rice accounted for 19.54%, coarse rice 16.81% and fine rice 7.20%.
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The GED noted that rice prices began to stabilise as fresh Aman harvests entered the market and domestic stocks improved through imports and public procurement.
Fish was the second-largest contributor, accounting for 39.33% of food inflation amid strong consumer demand and rising transportation and feed costs.
Meat added further pressure with a contribution of 13.44%, driven by higher prices of hen, beef and hilsa.
In contrast, vegetables helped ease inflation, recording a negative contribution of -20.57% for the second consecutive month due to abundant seasonal supply.
The report states that with domestic supply chains gradually stabilising and reduced pressure from imported commodities, overall inflation in October 2025 fell to 8.17%, down from 10.87% a year earlier.
The decline was driven primarily by a sharp fall in food inflation, from 12.66% in October 2024 to 7.08% in October this year.
Non-food inflation, however, inched up to 9.13%, reflecting persistent pressures in housing, transportation and healthcare.
Rice prices, which had remained elevated in early 2025, started to decline as new Aman harvests reached markets and domestic stocks improved through imports and government procurement.
Overall rice inflation, which had climbed from 1.32% in July 2024 to around 16% by mid-2025, eased to 13.77% in October.
Similar patterns were observed across medium, fine and coarse rice categories – sharp increases through early 2025, followed by a gradual slowdown from August onward as fresh supply improved.
