The inflation rate slipped to 4.96 per cent during the week ended October 25 due to decline in prices of food items like wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, tea, vegetables and fruits.

The wholesale price index-based inflation rate, which was 5.01 per cent in the previous week, was still higher than 3.14 per cent a year ago.

WPI dipped by 0.1 per cent to 175.8 points from 175.9 a week before as primary articles were cheaper by 0.7 per cent while fuel prices remained static and manufactured products were costlier by 0.1 per cent. The index was 167.5 a year ago.

Final WPI was same as the provisional figure of 174, while final inflation rate was at 3.88 per cent during the week ended August 30.

Primary article index came down to 182.8 from 184.1 due to a 1.1 per cent fall in food articles prices, though the prices of non-food articles rose by 0.1 per cent.

The group index for food articles fell to 185.3 from 187.3 due to cheaper bajra (5.0 per cent), fruits and vegetables (4.0 per cent), maize, moong (2.0 per cent each), ragi, tea, jowar and wheat (1.0 per cent each).

However, poultry chicken was costlier by 2.0 per cent while prices of arhar, masur, gram, eggs and, condiments and spices rose by 1.0 per cent each.