Weekly inflation slows as prices of 18 essential items drop

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s short-term inflation saw a slight decline of 0.69 per cent during the week ending April 17, according to new data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Compared to the same week last year, inflation fell by 2.72 per cent.

The weekly inflation figure is based on the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks the prices of 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities. The SPI offers a snapshot of how prices for everyday goods are shifting across the country.

During the week under review, prices of 18 items fell, 16 became more expensive, and 17 remained unchanged.

Among the items with the most notable weekly price drops were tomatoes (down 22.77 per cent), chicken (11.05 per cent), onions (9.82 per cent), garlic (8.85 per cent), and wheat flour (2.37 per cent). Prices of potatoes, mustard oil, LPG, and vegetable ghee also recorded modest declines.

However, some items saw a rise in prices. These included shirting fabric (up 3.68 per cent), printed lawn (1.47 per cent), pulse gram (1.03 per cent), cooked beef (0.74 per cent), and mutton (0.48 per cent).

Year-on-year, the biggest price drops were seen in onions (down 73.63 per cent), tomatoes (52.75 per cent), wheat flour (30.14 per cent), garlic (28.94 per cent), and potatoes (20.92 per cent). Prices of items such as chillies powder, tea, chicken, and fuel also saw notable declines compared to the same period last year.

In contrast, some products continued to rise significantly over the year. Ladies’ sandals surged by 55.62 per cent, while pulses, powdered milk, beef, sugar, and vegetable ghee also saw double-digit increases.

Inflation trends also varied by income group. The lowest income group experienced a 0.80 per cent decline in prices over the week, while the highest income group saw a 0.64 per cent increase.

On an annual basis, inflation dropped across all income brackets, with the sharpest decline of 3.35 per cent recorded for the lowest income group. For the highest income segment, the decrease stood at 2.11 per cent.

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