The price of 20-kilogram flour packets has been surging in Pakistan over the past year, increasing by as much as Rs1,250 over the course of a year, according to official data.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the prices have surged in major cities of all provinces, and Karachi is still topping the list of the highest prices for flour in the country.
The data showed that the price of a 20kg flour bag has risen from Rs1,800 in the same time a year ago to Rs2,900, and it is the most expensive city for flour.
The highest rise in prices was observed in Peshawar and Bannu, where the price of flour increased by Rs1,250 per 20kg bag. The price increases were also seen in Quetta Rs1200, Khuzdar Rs1173, Rawalpindi/Islamabad Rs1173, Sukkur Rs1140, Karachi Rs1100 and in Hyderabad Rs1100.
The other areas with significant gains are Gujranwala, where the figure rose by Rs1,083, Bahawalpur with a rise of Rs1,013; Larkana, Multan and Sialkot with each having a rise of Rs1,000; Faisalabad with a rise of Rs950 and Lahore with a rise of Rs850 and Sargodha with a rise of Rs806.
Islamabad’s 20kg flour bag price has gone up from Rs1,627 to Rs2,800, while Rawalpindi has seen a price hike from Rs1,613 to Rs2,786, Gujranwala has seen a price jump of Rs1,450 to Rs2,533, Sialkot from Rs1,467 to Rs2,467, and Lahore from Rs1,400 to Rs2,250 in a year’s time.
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Similarly, prices increased from Rs1,400 to Rs2,350 in Faisalabad, Rs1,494 to Rs2,300 in Sargodha, Rs1,533 to Rs2,533 in Multan, Rs1,467 to Rs2,480 in Bahawalpur, and Rs1,800 to Rs2,900 in Karachi.
In Hyderabad, the price of a 20kg flour bag rose from Rs1,700 to Rs2,800, while it increased from Rs1,400 to Rs2,540 in Sukkur, Rs1,500 to Rs2,500 in Larkana, Rs1,550 to Rs2,800 in Peshawar, Rs1,450 to Rs2,700 in Bannu, and Rs1,600 to Rs2,800 in both Quetta and Khuzdar.
These new statistics continue a significant increase in the price of flour across the country, which is an additional hardship for consumers during ongoing inflation.
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