Weekly inflation rises 0.21 pc, annual rate hits 11.53pc

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weekly inflation rose 0.21 per cent in the week ended October 1, with prices of 20 of the 51 items in the basket increasing while 10 declined, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said on Friday.

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks short-term price movements of essential commodities, rose 11.53 per cent year-on-year during the week, according to the PBS report.

Chicken recorded the biggest weekly increase, rising 7.25 per cent, while garlic became 1.85 per cent more expensive. Prices of gram pulse rose 1.30 per cent, LPG 1.17 per cent, eggs 0.72 per cent and rice 0.55 per cent.

Prices of onions, washing soap and wheat flour also increased during the week, the report said.

On the other hand, diesel prices fell 3.43 per cent during the week, while banana prices declined 1.52 per cent and sugar 1.05 per cent. Potato prices fell 0.96 per cent and petrol prices declined 0.65 per cent.

On a year-on-year basis, onion prices recorded the biggest increase, rising 114.20 per cent, followed by LPG at 66.59 per cent and electricity tariffs at 58.59 per cent.

Diesel prices were 44.50 per cent higher than a year earlier, while petrol prices rose 44.05 per cent. Wheat flour prices increased 32.65 per cent year-on-year.

Some food items recorded significant annual declines. Tomato prices fell 45.52 per cent and potatoes 39.54 per cent, while sugar prices declined 21.95 per cent. Egg prices were 17.47 per cent lower than a year earlier, the report said.