Inflation on the rise in Pakistan

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on December 21 for the combined income groups increased by 0.16 percent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 226.00 points against 225.65 points last week, according to the latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 3.46 per cent.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 witnessed nominal increase of 0.05 percent as it went up from 215.56 points in the previous week to 215.67 points in the week under review.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 to 12,000, Rs 12,001 to 18,000, Rs 18,001 to 35,000 and above Rs35,000, also increased by 0.10 percent, 0.13 percent, 0.16 percent and 0.19 percent respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 8 items registered decrease, while 12 items increased with the remaining 33 items’ prices unchanged.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included potatoes, eggs, onions, sugar, mash pulse, chilly, mustard oil and wheat flour.

The items, which registered increase in their prices included chicken, tomatoes, bananas, LPG cylinder, garlic, firewood, gur, moong pulse, masoor pulse, gram pulse, rice (basmati broken) and wheat.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice (irri-6), bread, beef, mutton, milk (fresh), curd, milk (powdered), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), vegetable ghee (loose), salt, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, cigarettes, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.