Retail inflation came in at a higher than expected 10.56 per cent in December, belying hopes of any aggressive policy rate cut by the RBI in the upcoming monetary policy review.
The annual consumer price index (CPI) for November was 9.9 per cent.
While retail inflation in the rural areas was 10.74 per cent in December, it was 10.42 per cent in the urban areas, official data released on Monday showed.