ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation, for the week ended on May 28, witnessed a nominal increase of 0.13 per cent, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.
The SPI for the week under review in the combined consumption group was recorded at 128.32 points as against 128.15 points registered in the previous week.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, also witnessed an increase of 0.57pc, from 134.06 points in the last week to 134.20 points during the week under review.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group during the week under review witnessed an increase of 9.63pc, while for the lowest consumption group, it surged by 11.07pc.
Weekly inflation for consumption groups from Rs17,733-Rs22,888; Rs22,889-Rs29,517; Rs29,518-Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month increased by 0.12pc, 0.14pc, 0.14pc and 0.12pc, respectively.
During the week, prices of nine items decreased, 12 items increased while that of 30 items remained unchanged.
The items that recorded a decrease in their average prices included tomatoes, garlic, onions, bananas, pulse (gram, masoor, mash), LPG cylinder and eggs.
The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices included chicken, potatoes, wheat flour, washing soap, gur, pulse (moong), sugar, rice (basmati broken), mutton, curd, milk (fresh) and beef.
Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in their prices during the week under review included rice (Irri-6/9), bread, beef, milk (powdered), mustard oil, cooking oil (loose), vegetable ghee (tin), vegetable ghee (loose), salt, chillies, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, firewood, energy saver, matchbox, petrol, diesel, telephone call and toilet soap.
According to PBS analysis, the increase was mainly due to a rise in prices of food items i.e. chicken (2.45pc), potatoes (1.85pc) and wheat flour (1.18pc).
