Weekly inflation rises 0.21% as chicken and LPG prices increase

• SPI-based inflation increased 0.21% in the week ending October 1, while annual inflation stood at 11.53%.
• Prices rose for 20 essential items, fell for 10 and remained unchanged for 21.
• Chicken recorded the largest reported weekly increase at 7.25%, while diesel fell 3.43%.

Pakistan’s weekly inflation rose by 0.21 per cent in the week ending October 1, with higher chicken, garlic, gram pulse and liquefied petroleum gas prices contributing to the increase, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The combined Sensitive Price Index (SPI) reached 370.40 points, compared with 369.69 points in the previous week. On a year-on-year basis, SPI-based inflation stood at 11.53 per cent.

Of the 51 items monitored, 20 recorded price increases, representing 39.21 per cent of the basket. Prices declined for 10 items, or 19.61 per cent, while 21 items, accounting for 41.18 per cent, remained unchanged.

Chicken prices increased by 7.25 per cent during the week, followed by garlic at 1.85 per cent, gram pulse at 1.30 per cent and LPG at 1.17 per cent.

Other increases included eggs at 0.72 per cent, IRRI-6/9 rice at 0.55 per cent, onions at 0.39 per cent, washing soap at 0.33 per cent and wheat flour at 0.29 per cent. Cloth and printed lawn prices each rose by 0.19 per cent.

Meanwhile, diesel prices fell by 3.43 per cent and petrol by 0.65 per cent. Among food items, bananas became cheaper by 1.52 per cent, sugar by 1.05 per cent, potatoes by 0.96 per cent and moong pulse by 0.63 per cent.

Tomato prices declined by 0.51 per cent, masoor pulse by 0.42 per cent, gur by 0.12 per cent and powdered milk by 0.10 per cent.

Compared with the same period last year, onions recorded a price increase of 114.20 per cent. LPG prices rose by 66.59 per cent, while electricity charges for the first consumption slab increased by 58.59 per cent.

Annual increases were also recorded in diesel at 44.50 per cent, petrol at 44.05 per cent, wheat flour at 32.65 per cent, chilli powder at 15.55 per cent and mutton at 15.07 per cent.

Chicken prices were 13.60 per cent higher than a year earlier, followed by beef at 12.90 per cent, plain bread at 8.96 per cent and fresh milk at 8.10 per cent.

Several items registered annual declines. Tomato prices fell by 45.52 per cent, potatoes by 39.54 per cent, sugar by 21.95 per cent and eggs by 17.47 per cent.

Powdered salt prices decreased by 14.81 per cent, masoor pulse by 10.92 per cent, gram pulse by 9.90 per cent and moong pulse by 8.20 per cent.

Across income groups, households earning up to Rs17,732 a month recorded a weekly SPI increase of 0.19 per cent, with the index rising from 354.06 to 354.74 points. For those earning Rs17,733–22,888, it increased by 0.20 per cent, from 357.40 to 358.13 points.

The Rs22,889–29,517 income group registered a 0.22 per cent increase, with its index moving from 377.88 to 378.66 points. For households earning Rs29,518–44,175, the SPI rose by 0.21 per cent, from 365.21 to 366.01 points.

The highest income group, listed as Rs44,175 and above, recorded a 0.21 per cent increase, taking its index from 369.45 to 370.22 points.