Pakistan's weekly inflation goes down slightly

ISLAMABAD: Weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), edged down by 0.02 per cent for the combined consumption group during the week ending September 11, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

The SPI stood at 335.35 points compared to 335.41 points a week earlier. On a year-on-year basis, however, the index registered a 5.03 per cent increase. The SPI, with a base year of 2015-16=100, tracks prices of 51 essential items across 17 urban centers, covering all expenditure groups.

For the lowest income group (up to Rs17,732), the SPI fell by 0.10 per cent to 327.39 points. Similar declines were observed in other brackets: 0.13 per cent for Rs17,733–22,888, 0.11 per cent for Rs22,889–29,517, and 0.09 per cent for Rs29,518–44,175. By contrast, the highest income group (above Rs44,175) saw a slight increase of 0.06 per cent.

Of the 51 items surveyed, 22 (43.14 per cent) recorded price increases, 4 (7.84 per cent) registered declines, while 25 (49.02 per cent) remained unchanged.

On a week-on-week basis, notable increases were recorded in onions (12.17%), tomatoes (10.47%), potatoes (3.57%), LPG (3.10%), and sugar (1.46%). In contrast, wheat flour (-9.80%), chicken (-3.20%), bananas (-3.10%), and gur (-0.30%) saw price reductions.

On a year-on-year comparison, tomatoes (90.07%), ladies sandals (55.62%), gas charges (29.85%), and sugar (29.33%) were among the items posting sharp increases. Meanwhile, onions (-40.28%), garlic (-26.69%), and electricity charges (-21.37%) registered significant declines.