New Delhi, June 14 : India's inflation rate based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) edged up to 2.61 per cent during May this year compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry on Friday.

The positive rate of inflation in May is primarily due to the increase in prices of food articles which rose by 7.4 per cent.

The wholesale prices of onions went up sharply by 58 per cent during the month which played spoilsport.

Crude petroleum & natural gas turned costlier by 1.35 per cent during the month and prices of manufactured products were up marginally by 0.78 per cent.

The WPI inflation has been edging up over the last three months from 0.26 per cent in March to 1.26 per cent in April largely due to the increase in the prices of food items along with an increase in fuel prices.

/IANS