Pakistan’s short-term inflation saw a modest rise of 0.22 per cent over the past week, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) report released on Friday. However, compared to the same period last year, inflation decreased by 1.97 per cent.
The price movement across 51 essential items showed a mixed trend. Prices of 12 items (23.53 per cent) went up, while 15 items (29.41 per cent) saw a decline. The remaining 24 items (47.06 per cent) held steady in price. Notably, prices of tomatoes surged by 36.43 per cent, chicken by 6.40 per cent, and bananas by 6.05 per cent. Other key items like sugar, LPG, and Georgette also saw increases, with sugar rising by 5.69 per cent and LPG by 1.44 per cent.
On the other hand, several items saw a significant drop in prices. Onions saw the most substantial decrease, falling by 16.71 per cent, followed by potatoes at 6.59 per cent, and garlic at 5.29 per cent. Other items, such as eggs and pulse gram, also saw a decline in their prices.
Looking at the year-on-year trend, several items recorded sharp price increases. The price of ladies’ sandals surged by 75.09 per cent, pulse moong by 26.84 per cent, and powdered milk by 25.93 per cent. Items such as chicken, beef, and vegetable ghee also saw significant price hikes, while firewood and georgette fabrics saw increases of 11.07 per cent and 11.21 per cent, respectively.
However, the year-on-year data also revealed substantial decreases. Onions recorded the most significant drop at 72.32 per cent, followed by tomatoes at 51.96 per cent, and wheat flour at 36.20 per cent. Other items like tea Lipton, diesel, and LPG also saw a reduction in prices compared to last year.
When broken down by income group, the lowest income segment experienced a slight weekly inflation increase of 0.10 per cent, while the highest income group saw a higher weekly rise of 0.25 per cent. Year-on-year, inflation across income segments ranged between 1.04 per cent and 3.27 per cent, with the lowest income group seeing a decrease of 3.25 per cent, and the highest income group witnessing a 1.04 per cent decline.
