ISLAMABAD: Weekly inflation for the combined income group went up 0.66 per cent for the seven-day period that ended on March 9 mainly because of an increase in prices of essential food commodities.
Measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), weekly inflation went up for the second consecutive week after recording a decline in preceding weeks, according to data issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.
The SPI monitors prices of 53 items based on a survey in 17 cities and 53 markets. Prices of 12 items increased and those of seven items decreased during the period under review. Prices of 34 items remained unchanged.
For the lowest income group earning up to Rs8,000 a month, the SPI grew 0.60pc over the previous week. Inflation for the top income group earning Rs35,000 and above was up 0.66pc.
On a year-on-year basis, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 3.75pc.
Food items whose prices rose included tomatoes 1.01pc, chicken 10.92pc, potatoes 5.38pc, tea 4.13pc, onions 3.41pc, bananas 2.11pc, mutton 0.48pc, garlic 0.40pc, red chilly powder 0.11pc and vegetable ghee 0.08pc.
In non-food items, prices of LPG cylinder (11kg) and soap went up 0.13pc and 0.44pc, respectively. Items whose prices fell included egg 4.99pc, sugar 1.65pc, pulse gram 1.14pc, pulse masoor 0.52pc, pulse moong 0.36pc, pulse mash 0.34pc and gur 0.14pc
