Pakistan: Inflation hits 26.6pc in October

Pakistan’s annual inflation for the month of October, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), has reached 26.6 per cent, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Thursday.

On month-on-month basis, it increased to 4.7% in October 2022 as compared to a decrease of 1.2% in the previous month (September) and an increase of 1.9% in October 2021.

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The food commodities that witnessed an increase in prices on YoY basis included tomatoes (219.34%), onions (165.66%), gram whole (69.80%), pulse gram (65.08%), besan (62.25%), mustard oil (61.14%), pulse masoor (61.07%), fresh vegetables (58.87%), cooking oil (58.06%), pulse mash (55.33%), vegetable ghee (52.5%), pulse moong (49.84%), wheat (45.77%), tea (41.89%), rice (40.76%), wheat flour (37.38%), milk fresh (29.61%), meat (25.34%), potatoes (20.65%), fish (15.4%), chicken (12.22%) and gur (0.39%).

The food commodities that witnessed decrease in prices included sugar (11.84%) and condiments & spices (10.97%).

The non-food commodities that witnessed increase on YoY basis included motor fuel (64.81%), stationery (44.5%), washing soap/detergents/match box (41.49%), transport services (41.27%), motor vehicles (34.29%), construction input items (32.03%), motor vehicle accessories (31.31%), electricity charges (24.95%), cotton cloth (24.16%), household equipment (21.4%), solid fuel (20.88%) and construction wage rates (12.72%).

SPI inflation on YoY increased to 24.0% in Oct 2022 as compared to an increase of 28.6% a month earlier and an increase of 15.3% in Oct 2021. On MoM basis, it decreased by 1.5% in Oct 2022 as compared to a decrease of 1.4% a month earlier and an increase of 2.1% in Oct 2021.

WPI inflation on YoY basis increased to 32.6% in Oct 2022 as compared to an increase of 38.9% a month earlier and an increase of 21.2% in Oct 2021. On MoM basis, it decreased by 0.5% in Oct 2022 as compared to an increase of 1.4% a month earlier and an increase of 4.2% in corresponding month i.e. Oct 2021.