Pakistan experienced a 0.21 percent rise in weekly inflation for the period ending October 1, as prices of 20 out of 51 monitored items increased, while 10 saw a decline. This data was released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which measures short-term price fluctuations of essential goods, showed an 11.53 percent increase compared to the same week last year. Notably, chicken prices recorded the highest weekly surge, climbing 7.25 percent, followed by garlic which rose by 1.85 percent. Other items with price increases included gram pulse (1.30 percent), LPG (1.17 percent), eggs (0.72 percent), and rice (0.55 percent). Additionally, prices of onions, washing soap, and wheat flour also saw upward movement during the week.
Meanwhile, some commodities experienced price reductions. Diesel prices dropped by 3.43 percent, banana prices fell 1.52 percent, and sugar decreased by 1.05 percent. Potato prices declined by 0.96 percent, and petrol prices were down 0.65 percent over the week.
On an annual basis, onion prices surged dramatically by 114.20 percent, marking the largest yearly increase. LPG prices rose 66.59 percent, and electricity tariffs increased by 58.59 percent. Diesel and petrol prices were also significantly higher than last year, up 44.50 percent and 44.05 percent respectively. Wheat flour prices increased by 32.65 percent year-on-year.
Conversely, some food items saw notable annual price declines. Tomato prices dropped 45.52 percent, potatoes fell 39.54 percent, and sugar prices decreased by 21.95 percent. Egg prices were also down by 17.47 percent compared to the previous year.
