The silver lining, however, is that the CPI actually went down marginally on a month-to-month basis, decreasing 0.3% when compared with November 2019.
Urban CPI increased by 12% against last year but was down 0.4% from November, while rural CPI increased 13.6% against last year but decreased 0.3% against November.
While the monthly numbers are less significant than the yearly figures, a levelling trend in prices of goods is heartening for most citizens, especially given that the economic crisis has already forced many to tighten their belts by a few too many notches.
Of course, some of that belt-tightening was made ‘easier’ by the fact that food prices rose by extreme amounts over the past year.
Just take tomatoes, which rose 321%, or onions, which rose 169%. For the less culinarily inclined, these two items make up the base for most basic dishes on the average Pakistani’s dinner table.
Along with a few spices and bread, they also make up one of the most affordable meal options — pyaz tamatar ki sabzi.
Other staples such as potatoes were up 78%, while lentils (dal) were up between 11% and 53%, depending on the type. Even wheat flour was up by almost 16%, while milk and tea rose by over 10% each. For the poor and middle class, these are unaffordable numbers.
Even fish and red meat were up by over 13% each, although chicken dropped by 17%.
Even the cost of cooking continues to rise. Gas charges increased by almost 55% last year, and are slated to increase even more in the new year. Meanwhile, with electricity up 17% and cloth and wool prices up by over 10% each, even keeping warm is becoming a luxury.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2020.
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