Pakistan’s short-term inflation moved higher during the week ending June 18, driven mainly by a sharp increase in the prices of vegetables and poultry, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which measures weekly changes in the prices of essential goods, increased by 0.46 percent compared to the previous week.
Among the biggest contributors to the rise were tomatoes, whose prices surged 16.65 percent in just one week. Potatoes became 6.82 percent more expensive, while chicken prices climbed 5.60 percent. Consumers also faced higher costs for washing soap, gur, mutton, LPG, eggs, fresh milk and curd.
Despite the overall increase, some household items became cheaper during the week. Onion prices fell 2.98 percent, followed by garlic at 2.51 percent and bananas at 1.28 percent. Fuel prices also provided some relief, with petrol declining 1.06 percent and diesel dropping 0.51 percent. Prices of wheat flour and several pulses also recorded modest decreases.
PBS data showed that out of 51 essential items monitored during the week, prices of 25 items increased, 11 declined and 15 remained unchanged.
Annual inflation remains in double digits
On a year-on-year basis, the SPI recorded an increase of 15.28 percent, highlighting the continued pressure on household budgets despite some recent easing in the prices of selected food items.
Onions topped the list of annual price increases, costing nearly 80 percent more than a year ago. Tomato prices were up 68.59 percent, while electricity charges for the first quarter rose 59.40 percent. Wheat flour, LPG, petrol and diesel also posted substantial increases compared with the same period last year.
Meat products remained expensive, with mutton prices rising 16.30 percent and beef increasing 12.86 percent over the year. Garlic, chilli powder and bread also recorded notable gains.
However, several food items became cheaper compared with last year. Potato prices dropped 41.09 percent, while eggs were down nearly 27 percent. Prices of sugar and various pulses also recorded significant declines.
Meanwhile, the average price of a 50-kilogram bag of Sona Urea reached Rs4,662, up 0.25 percent from the previous week and 4.75 percent higher than a year earlier. Cement prices averaged Rs1,503 per 50-kilogram bag, down 0.50 percent week-on-week but still 6.19 percent higher than last year.
The SPI tracks the prices of 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities and serves as an important indicator of short-term inflation trends in the country.
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