Inflation on the rise in Pakistan: PBS

KARACHI: Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation increased to 9.1 per cent in March 2021 from 8.7pc in February, data released by the Pakisan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed.

On a month-on-month basis, inflation increased by 0.36 on the back of an increase in prices of sugar, cooking oil, wheat, pulses, petroleum products and electricity.

Inflation was recorded at 9.3pc at the start of the current fiscal year (2020-21) in July but later eased down to 8.2pc in August before going up again to 9pc in September.

It had been on the decline from September but rebounded in February. The month of March saw an increase in inflation due to prices of a few consumer items as well as energy rates going up.

In urban areas, food items whose prices increased in March as compared to the previous month are eggs 12.96pc, fruits 10pc, potatoes 9.54pc, chicken 6.58pc, sugar 4.82pc, tomatoes 4.67pc, pulse mash 4.57pc, pulse gram 4.39pc, rice 1.61pc and wheat flour 1.46pc.

The items whose prices declined in urban areas were onions 2.37pc, dried fruits 2.19pc, fish 1.78pc and vegetables 1.48pc.

In rural areas, food items that saw an increase in their prices include eggs 15pc, chicken 12.21pc, potatoes 11.43pc, fruits 6.08pc, sugar 5.77pc, besan 4.71pc, pulse gram 3.89pc, gram whole 2.53pc, pulse mash 2.52pc, pulse masoor 2.18pc, vegetable ghee 1.58pc, cooking oil 1.53pc and wheat flour by 0.97pc.

However, the prices of tomatoes decreased by 6.10pc, fish 1.14pc, condiments & spices 0.61pc and wheat 0.33pc.