Pakistan Rupee’s Real Effective Exchange Rate Index (REER) decreased by 0.57% MoM in June 2024 to a provisional value of 100.11 from the revised value of 100.69 in May 2024. According to data published by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the REER index has increased by 14.12% YoY compared to June 2023.
Similarly, the Nominal Effective Exchange Rate Index (NEER) decreased by 0.93% in June to a provisional value of 38.84 from the revised value of 39.20 in May. On a yearly basis, the NEER Index has increased by 4.08%.
PKR STABLE AGAINST USD IN JUNE 2024
PKR closed June at 278.34 against the USD, largely unchanged compared to its value in May 2024. Compared to June 2023, PKR has appreciated by 2.75%.
UNDERSTANDING REER AND NEER INDICES
REER is an index of the price of a basket of goods in one country relative to the price of the same basket in that country’s major trading partners. An increase in REER implies that exports become more expensive and imports become cheaper, indicating a decline in trade competitiveness. The price of each trading partner’s basket is weighted by its share in imports, exports, or total foreign trade.
A REER index of 100 should not be misinterpreted as denoting the equilibrium value of the currency. 100 merely represents the value of the currency at a chosen point in time (in this case, the average value of the currency in 2010). The movement of the REER away from 100 simply reflects changes relative to its average value in 2010 and is unrelated to its equilibrium value.
NEER is an index of the bilateral nominal exchange rates of one country relative to its major trading partners or a selected basket of currencies. The bilateral nominal exchange rate index with each trading partner is weighted by that country’s share in imports, exports, or total foreign trade.
