Inflation declined for the tenth consecutive week today to 5.24 per cent for the week ended January 3, primarily due to decline in prices of food articles.

Inflation, measured by movements in wholesale prices, dipped by 0.67 percentage points from 5.91 per cent in the previous week. It stood at 4.26 per cent a year ago.

The index of the food articles group declined by 0.6 per cent as prices of fruit and vegetables fell by three per cent, and gram, barley, condiments and spices by one per cent each.

However, the index of manufactured goods declined one per cent. Among manufactured items, paper and paper products declined by 0.4 per cent, and chemicals and chemical products fell by 1.2 per cent.

The index of fuel declined by 0.2 per cent due to lower prices of aviation turbine fuel (8 per cent) and light diesel oil (3 per cent).

However, naphtha became expensive by three per cent, and among food items jowar, tea, urad moong and rice moved up by one per cent each, and masoor by two per cent.

Inflation has been declining after it touched a peak of 12.91 per cent in August last year.