Weekly inflation rises as prices of 12 key items increase

ISLAMABAD: As of October 31, Pakistan’s short-term inflation saw a marginal rise of 0.10 per cent compared to the previous week and an increase of 14.45 per cent year-on-year, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The PBS monitors short-term inflation through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks the price movement of essential goods weekly, providing a quick overview of the country’s price trends.

The SPI monitors 51 key items collected from 50 markets across 17 cities. During the latest week, the prices of 12 items (23.53 per cent) increased, another 12 items (23.53 per cent) decreased, while the remaining 27 items (52.94 per cent) saw no change.

Among the most significant price hikes were Eggs, which saw a 3.40 per cent increase, followed by Garlic (2.95 per cent), LPG (1.92 per cent), Mustard Oil (1.49 per cent), and Pulse Moong (1.27 per cent).

Conversely, Tomatoes experienced a notable 11.02 per cent drop in price, while Chicken fell by 10.57 per cent, Onions by 1.68 per cent, Bananas by 1.42 per cent, and Sugar by 1.20 per cent.

In terms of income groups, the SPI rose for two segments and dropped for three, with weekly changes ranging from a decrease of 0.4 per cent to an increase of 0.32 per cent. The lowest income group benefitted from a 0.36 per cent decline, while the highest income group saw a minor 0.07 per cent drop.

On a yearly basis, however, inflation impacted all income segments, with SPI increases ranging from 9.03 per cent to 17.42 per cent. The lowest income group saw a 9.03 per cent rise in SPI, while the highest income group experienced a 13.1 per cent increase over the year.

Looking at specific commodities, the price of a 50 kg bag of Sona Urea remained stable at Rs4,573, though it was 18.86 per cent higher than last year. Meanwhile, the average price of a 50 kg bag of cement dropped slightly by 0.17 per cent to Rs1,446, but was still 21.29 per cent higher than the price a year ago.

The weekly data provides an overview of the inflationary pressures on everyday goods in Pakistan, affecting households across all income brackets.

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