The weekly inflation rate, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), increased by 0.49% for the combined consumption group during the week ending on October 16, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.
The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 334.39 points, up from 332.75 points in the previous week. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI showed a rise of 4.57% compared to the same week last year.
The SPI, which is based on the 2015-16 base year (100), tracks 51 essential items across 17 urban centres. For the lowest consumption group (up to Rs17,732), the SPI increased by 1.07%, reaching 329.37 points from 325.88 points last week. Other consumption groups saw smaller increases, with the highest consumption group (above Rs44,175) rising by 0.29%.
Among the 51 items tracked, 24 saw price increases, 8 saw decreases, and 19 remained stable. Significant price drops were recorded for chicken (down 6.38%), bananas (down 4.70%), and pulse gram (down 2.20%). Petrol and diesel prices also decreased by 2.09% and 0.55%, respectively.
On the other hand, notable price increases were seen for tomatoes (up 33.20%), onions (up 8.70%), eggs (up 2.18%), and wheat flour (up 1.42%). Other items, such as garlic, potatoes, and vegetable ghee, also saw small increases.
When comparing prices to the same week last year, several items saw significant decreases, including onions (down 33.55%), chicken (down 29.81%), and pulse gram (down 28.86%). However, prices for tomatoes (up 121.38%), ladies’ sandals (up 55.62%), and sugar (up 36.94%) saw substantial increases. Other items such as wheat flour, gur, and beef also recorded price hikes.
