The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ending on June 6, 2024, showed an increase of 0.45%.Â
According to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the rise was driven primarily by higher prices for onions, which surged by 33.21%, and tomatoes, which rose by 15.34%.
Other notable price increases included bananas (4.93%), pulse gram (3.69%), potatoes (2.62%), chicken (1.84%), georgette fabric (1.57%), gur (1.45%), pulse mash (1.07%), lawn fabric (0.66%), cigarettes (0.41%), and energy savers (0.38%).
Conversely, price decreases were observed in bread (3.02%), garlic (2.00%), petrol (1.74%), pulse masoor (1.43%), diesel (1.42%), rice basmati broken (1.32%), chilies powder (1.31%), eggs (0.94%), wheat flour (0.77%), and mustard oil (0.46%).
As per PBS data, out of the 51 items monitored, 19 (37.26%) items experienced price increases, 14 (27.45%) items saw price decreases, and 18 (35.29%) items remained stable.
On a year-on-year basis, the SPI showed a 21.69% increase compared to the same week last year.Â
This YoY rise was influenced by an extraordinary 570% increase in gas charges for Q1, along with substantial price hikes in onions (100.37%), chilies powder (57.89%), garlic (43.40%), and tomatoes (36.23%).
Other items with notable year-on-year price increases included salt powder (31.30%), shirting fabric (30.52%), gents sandals (25.01%), pulse mash (25.00%), beef (21.86%), energy savers (20.53%), and sugar (19.85%).
However, some items recorded price decreases over the year, such as chicken (29.00%), wheat flour (28.35%), bananas (25.69%), cooking oil 5 litre (17.05%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (15.12%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (14.19%), mustard oil (9.73%), eggs (8.73%), and LPG (5.47%).
The SPI, based on the 2015-16 index year, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups and combined, providing a comprehensive snapshot of the weekly price changes affecting consumers.
