India's annual retail inflation in December eased to a four-month low, government data showed on Monday, boosting hopes of the country's central bank cutting interest rates in February. Annual retail inflation in December eased to 5.

India's inflation declined for a second straight month year on year, coming in just below expectations at 5.22% in December. The cooldown in price growth boosts the case for prospective interest rate cuts.

India’s retail inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), for December stood at 5.22 per cent, showing a slight dip from 5.48 per cent in November. November's CPI fell from a 14-month high of 6.21 per cent in October, bringing the figure within the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) tolerance band of 2 to 6 per cent.

India's annual retail inflation in December eased to 5.22% from 5.48% in the previous month as the rate of increase in food prices slowed, government data released on Monday showed.

Norway’s underlying inflation eased more than expected at the end of the year, in evidence that the aggressive stance of its central bank is reining in prices in the energy-rich economy.

India's consumer price inflation is expected to have dropped to 5.3 per cent in December, driven by a slowdown in food price increases, according to a Reuters poll of economists. This reduction in inflation fuels expectations of a potential interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) next month,

India's annual retail inflation in December slowed to 5.22% from 5.48% in the previous month, government data released on Monday showed.