ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s short-term inflation decreased by 0.16% in the week compared to the previous week, while it rose by 3.95% year-on-year, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.
Of the 51 items tracked, 17 (33.33%) saw price increases, 11 (21.57%) experienced decreases, and 23 (45.10%) remained stable. Major price drops were observed in chicken (down 12.46%), bananas (down 4.22%), potatoes (down 2.44%), onions (down 1.61%), and LPG (down 0.65%). Meanwhile, key price hikes were seen in tomatoes (up 9.04%), eggs (up 0.88%), wheat flour (up 0.76%), and gur (up 0.64%).
On a year-on-year basis, the overall increase was 3.95%, with significant price hikes in items like ladies sandals (up 55.62%), tomatoes (up 53.61%), sugar (up 31.90%), and wheat flour (up 17.36%). Conversely, the prices of onions (down 42.39%), garlic (down 27.95%), and chicken (down 22.33%) recorded notable declines.
For income quintiles, the highest weekly decline was recorded in Q5 (above Rs 44,175) at 0.21%, while lower income groups (Q1) saw a slight increase of 0.02%. However, year-on-year inflation was more pronounced in lower and middle-income groups, with Q4 and Q3 experiencing the highest increases.
The average price of Sona urea stood at Rs 4,389 per 50 kg bag, down by 0.1% from the previous week and 4.2% lower compared to last year. Cement prices also fell to Rs 1,405 per 50 kg bag, a decrease of 0.07% from last week and 3.7% from the previous year.
The SPI, which tracks short-term inflation, monitors the price movements of essential commodities in 50 markets across 17 cities in Pakistan.
