Pakistan's weekly inflation records slight increase

• During the current week, chicken prices increased by 4.45%.
• Price of tomatoes drops by 18.28%.
• On a yearly basis, SPI inflation records an increase of 20.08%.

ISLAMABAD: The inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) edged up recording a slight increase of 0.08% for the combined group for the week that ended on January 6, driven by an uptick in prices of essential food items, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.

Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, the SPI inflation recorded an increase of 20.08%. Topline Securities in its research said annual SPI was at a decade high.

The combined income group index went up from 167.98 points during the week that ended on December 30 to 168.12 points in the week under review.

According to the provisional figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the average prices of 25 essential items, including potatoes, chicken, powdered salt, and pulses etc., rose during the outgoing week.

Prices of seven items, including tomatoes, 200-gram chillies powder, eggs, mustard oil and a bag of wheat flour have declined. Meanwhile, the rates of 19 essential goods remained unchanged.

The bureau, in its weekly report, said that among food items, the potatoes increased by 5.23%. Meanwhile, the prices of chicken increased by 4.45%.

Among non-food items, the price of petrol super and hi-speed diesel rose within a range of 2.5-3%, respectively.

During the week under review, the price of tomatoes dropped 18.28%, while the 200-gram chillies power packet decreased by over 14.54%. Other items that recorded a decline included eggs and wheat flour.

Meanwhile, the price of plain bread, powdered milk, vegetable ghee, tea, etc. remained unchanged.

The SPI for the lowest income group decreased by 0.28% compared to the previous week. The index for the group stood at 175.91 points against 176.40 points in the previous week.