Weekly inflation rises despite drop in chicken, LPG prices

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weekly inflation, as measured by the sensitive price indicator (SPI), rose by 0.67 per cent in the week ending on November 21st, compared to the previous week.

Year-on-year, the increase stood at 4.92 per cent, according to a report released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

The SPI is a tool used by the PBS to monitor the prices of essential commodities at a shorter interval. It tracks the price movements of 51 key items across 50 markets in 17 cities throughout Pakistan. This helps gauge the overall price situation in the country on a weekly basis.

During the week under review, prices of 17 items (33.33 per cent) increased, 11 items (21.57 per cent) decreased, and the prices of 23 items (45.10 per cent) remained stable.

Notable price hikes were seen in items such as ladies’ sandals, which surged by 55.62 per cent, tomatoes by 20.72 per cent, potatoes by 3.81 per cent, garlic by 3.42 per cent, and eggs by 3.16 per cent.

On the flip side, prices of chicken dropped by 2.97 per cent, pulse gram by 1.70 per cent, LPG by 0.80 per cent, pulse masoor by 0.62 per cent, and broken basmati rice by 0.40 per cent.

In terms of income groups, the SPI showed increases across all segments. The lowest income group experienced the highest weekly rise of 0.91 per cent, while the highest income group saw a smaller rise of 0.61 per cent.

On a yearly basis, the increase in inflation ranged between 3.44 per cent for the lowest income group and 5.41 per cent for the highest income group.

For specific items, the average price of a 50 kg bag of Sona urea was Rs4,562, reflecting a 0.68 per cent drop from the previous week but a significant 13.73 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Similarly, the average cement price reached Rs1,427 per 50 kg bag, down by 0.68 per cent from the prior week but 16.22 per cent higher year-on-year.

This regular monitoring of prices helps provide a clearer picture of how inflation is impacting different segments of society, especially in terms of essential goods.
port released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

The SPI is a tool used by the PBS to monitor the prices of essential commodities at a shorter interval. It tracks the price movements of 51 key items across 50 markets in 17 cities throughout Pakistan. This helps gauge the overall price situation in the country on a weekly basis.

During the week under review, prices of 17 items (33.33 per cent) increased, 11 items (21.57 per cent) decreased, and the prices of 23 items (45.10 per cent) remained stable.

Notable price hikes were seen in items such as ladies’ sandals, which surged by 55.62 per cent, tomatoes by 20.72 per cent, potatoes by 3.81 per cent, garlic by 3.42 per cent, and eggs by 3.16 per cent.

On the flip side, prices of chicken dropped by 2.97 per cent, pulse gram by 1.70 per cent, LPG by 0.80 per cent, pulse masoor by 0.62 per cent, and broken basmati rice by 0.40 per cent.

In terms of income groups, the SPI showed increases across all segments. The lowest income group experienced the highest weekly rise of 0.91 per cent, while the highest income group saw a smaller rise of 0.61 per cent.

On a yearly basis, the increase in inflation ranged between 3.44 per cent for the lowest income group and 5.41 per cent for the highest income group.

According to Mettis Global, for specific items, the average price of 50 kg bag of Sona urea was recorded at Rs4,562 reflecting a 0.68 per cent drop from the previous week but a significant 13.73 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Similarly, the average cement price reached Rs1,427 per 50 kg bag down by 0.68 per cent from prior week but 16.22 per cent higher year-on-year.

Items	Increase	Items	Decrease
Ladies’ sandals	55.62 per cent	Chicken	-2.97 per cent
Tomatoes	20.72 per cent	Pulse gram	-1.70 per cent
Potatoes	3.81 per cent	LPG	-0.80 per cent
Garlic	3.42 per cent	Pulse masoor	-0.62 per cent
Eggs	3.16 per cent	Rice basmati broken	-0.40 per cent

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