ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) accelerated by 0.97 percent for the week ending March 26, reflecting renewed pressure on household budgets as essential food items and energy costs moved higher, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The increase was largely fueled by sharp price spikes in perishable food items and fuel substitutes. Onion prices surged by 18 percent during the week, followed by tomatoes rising 11.38 percent and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) climbing 10.05 percent. Poultry and staple vegetables also contributed to the upward trend, with chicken prices increasing by 8.70 percent and potatoes by 8.11 percent.
Additional upward adjustments were recorded in electricity charges for the first consumption slab (Q1), which rose 6.11 percent, while eggs increased 3.54 percent, garlic 3.23 percent, mutton 2.55 percent, and beef 1.52 percent. Minor increases were also observed in georgette fabric and firewood, which edged up by 0.38 percent and 0.34 percent, respectively.
Despite the overall inflationary pressure, a handful of items registered price relief during the week. Banana prices declined by 4.50 percent, wheat flour fell by 1 percent, and sugar eased by 0.29 percent. Small reductions were also recorded in gur, pulse moong, and rice IRRI varieties, each dropping by about 0.17 to 0.20 percent.
Data analysis shows that price movements were mixed across the SPI basket. Out of 51 monitored commodities, 23 items recorded increases, six experienced declines, and 22 remained unchanged, indicating broad-based but uneven inflation dynamics.
On an annual basis, SPI inflation rose by 8.24 percent, underscoring persistent cost pressures in energy and food categories. LPG prices posted the steepest year-on-year increase at 34.73 percent, followed by diesel at 29.94 percent and gas charges for the lowest tariff slab rising 29.85 percent. Wheat flour and petrol also recorded substantial increases of 25.76 percent and 25.75 percent, respectively, while onion prices climbed 25.07 percent.
Other notable annual increases were observed in chili powder, beef, mutton, powdered milk, broken basmati rice, and gur, reflecting sustained inflation across key household consumption items.
At the same time, several commodities showed significant year-on-year declines, helping partially offset overall inflation. Potato prices dropped by 45.71 percent, while pulse gram fell 17.54 percent. Eggs, garlic, salt powder, chicken, pulse masoor, and sugar also recorded double-digit decreases compared to the same period last year.
A breakdown by income segments indicates that inflationary pressures were felt across all household categories. The lowest-income group, earning up to Rs17,732 per month, experienced a 0.97 percent weekly increase in SPI, with the index rising from 326.22 points to 339.39 points.
Similarly, households in the Rs17,733 to Rs22,888 income bracket recorded a 1.09 percent rise, while the Rs22,889 to Rs29,517 group saw an increase of 0.88 percent. The Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 category registered a 0.79 percent gain, and the highest-income segment, earning above Rs44,175, experienced a 0.94 percent increase, indicating that inflationary pressures remained widespread across income levels.
