The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) released its latest report on Friday, indicating a 0.96% increase in weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the combined consumption groups in the week ending April 4.
According to PBS data, the SPI for this period stood at 326.29 points, up from 323.20 points recorded in the previous week. Comparatively, the SPI showed a significant increase of 29.45% compared to the corresponding week of the previous year.
PAKISTAN’S CPI HITS NEAR TWO-YEAR LOW
The SPI, with a base year of 2015-16 = 100, encompasses 17 urban centers and monitors 51 essential items across all expenditure groups. In this regard, the SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs. 17,732, increased by 0.83%, reaching 315.95 points from the previous week’s 313.35 points.
For consumption groups ranging from Rs. 17,732 to above Rs. 44,175, the SPI witnessed increases of 0.90%, 0.85%, 0.93%, and 1.02% respectively.
Throughout the week, out of 51 items monitored, prices of 16 items increased (31.37%), 13 items decreased (25.49%), and 22 items remained stable (43.14%). Notable decreases were observed in the prices of bananas, wheat flour, eggs, LPG, and diesel.
WEEKLY AND YEAR-ON-YEAR FLUCTUATIONS IN COMMODITY PRICES
The latest data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) highlights significant changes in the average prices of various commodities on both a week-on-week and year-on-year basis.
Weekly Decreases:
- Bananas: 3.57%
- Wheat flour: 2.68%
- Eggs: 1.89%
- LPG: 1.89%
- Diesel: 1.18%
- Gur: 0.63%
- Sugar: 0.41%
- Mustard oil: 0.26%
- Pulse masoor: 0.25%
- Potatoes: 0.23%
Year-on-Year Decreases:
- Ladies sandal: 12.52%
- Tomatoes: 11.93%
- Gents sandal: 8.70%
- Petrol: 3.45%
- Chicken: 2.99%
- Long cloth: 2.23%
- Onion: 1.30%
- Bread: 1.03%
- Beef: 0.75%
- Garlic: 0.70%
- Mutton: 0.41%
- Rice basmati broken: 0.14%
Year-on-Year Decreases Continued:
- Bananas: 26.68%
- Cooking oil 5 litre: 20.53%
- Vegetable ghee 1 kg: 17.61%
- Vegetable ghee 2.5 kg: 17.28%
- Mustard oil: 14.22%
- Wheat flour: 5.86%
- Diesel: 3.61%
- Cigarettes: 0.06%
Increases in Average Prices:
- Gas charges for Q1: 570.00%
- Onions: 107.59%
- Chilies powder: 86.05%
- Gents sandal: 66.71%
- Gents sponge chappal: 58.05%
- Garlic: 53.51%
- Tomatoes: 35.77%
- Gur: 34.00%
- Salt powder: 32.78%
- Energy saver: 29.83%
- Pulse mash: 26.98%
- Tea prepared: 23.34%
