Pakistan’s short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), rose by 0.8% for the week ending December 20, 2024, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI reflected a 5.08% increase.
During the week, the prices of 17 out of 51 items saw an upward trend, with key contributors being chicken, which surged by 22.47%, and tomatoes, which rose by 20.75%. Sugar prices increased by 2.19%, while the prices of essential cooking items, such as vegetable ghee (1kg and 2.5kg packs) and cooking oil (5 liters), also showed modest rises. On the other hand, some relief was observed in the prices of onions and potatoes, which declined by 8.13% and 2.38%, respectively. Pulses such as mash and gram, along with eggs, also saw slight reductions in their prices during the week.
Year-on-year trends indicated significant inflationary pressures on certain items, with tomatoes recording a dramatic increase of 138.53%, followed by ladies’ sandals, which rose by 75.09%, and potatoes, which increased by 61.17%. However, some essential commodities showed notable declines over the year, including wheat flour, which dropped by 36.20%, and onions, which fell by 31.21%. Eggs and petrol also saw declines of 12.89% and 5.64%, respectively.
The impact of inflation varied across income groups, with the lowest-income segment experiencing a 0.69% weekly increase, while the highest-income group faced a slightly higher rise of 0.81%. Over the year, inflation across all income segments ranged from 4.98% to 5.22%.
Key commodity prices also reflected mixed trends. The average price of Sona urea slightly declined to Rs4,555 per 50kg bag, down 0.05% from the previous week and 1.34% lower than last year. Meanwhile, cement prices fell marginally by 0.3% during the week to Rs1,408 per 50kg bag, although they remained 14.32% higher compared to the same period last year.
The SPI, which monitors the prices of 51 essential items collected from 50 markets across 17 cities, serves as a critical tool for tracking inflation trends. The PBS report underscores the dynamic nature of price movements, offering insights into both weekly fluctuations and broader annual trends.
