The Weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the Combined Group witnessed a slight downturn of 0.09% WoW during the week concluding on March 28, 2024. However, the SPI exhibited a significant uptick of 29.41% YoY compared to the corresponding period from the previous year, as per data disclosed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Combined Index, as reported by the PBS, settled at 323.20, a slight dip from the preceding week’s 323.50, while marking a substantial rise from the index of 249.75 recorded a year ago.
During the week under review, out of 51 items, prices of 04 (7.84%) items surged, 18 (35.30%) items saw a decline, and 29 (56.86%) items remained stable.
PAKISTAN’S CPI HITS NEAR TWO-YEAR LOW
PRICE FLUCTUATIONS
Notable decreases were witnessed in the prices of Tomatoes (12.04%), Wheat Flour (3.80%), Garlic (2.59%), LPG (2.42%), and Wheat (2.09%). Conversely, notable increases were noted in the prices of Chicken (4.92%), Eggs (1.61%), Shirting (0.56%), and Rice Irri 6/9 (0.15%).
INCOME GROUP ANALYSIS
The weekly SPI percentage change across all income groups indicated a decrease, ranging between -0.03% and -0.27%. The lowest income group experienced a more substantial weekly fall of 0.27%, while the highest income group saw a marginal decrease of 0.03%.
On a yearly basis, analysis of SPI changes across different income segments showed increases ranging between 22.15% and 33.5%. The yearly SPI for the Lowest Income Group increased by 22.15%, while the highest income group recorded a slightly higher increase of 26.58%.
COMMODITY PRICES
The average price of Sona urea stood at Rs4,828 per 50 kg bag, indicating a 0.02% decrease from the previous week’s price and a notable 69.56% surge compared to the prices observed last year.
Meanwhile, the average Cement price was recorded at Rs1,220 per 50 kg bag, reflecting a marginal 0.06% decrease from the preceding week and an 8.47% hike compared to prices from the previous year.
