Weekly inflation slides down by 0.40 percent

Prices of tomatoes, potatoes, eggs decreased; chicken, onions, wheat flour, rice increased

ISLAMABAD:

 

The weekly inflation, measured by Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed a decrease of 0.40 percent for combined consumption group during the week which ended on December 15, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.

The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 217.64 points as compared to 218.51 points during the past week, according to PBS data.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 29.42 percent.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16 =100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs 17,732 witnessed 0.77 percent decrease and went down to 225.69 points from last week’s 227.45 points.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs 17,732-22,888; Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 witnessed decrease of 0.65 percent, 0.51 percent, 0.44 percent and 0.29 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 22 (43.14%) items increased, 09 (17.65%) items decreased and 20 (39.21%) items remained stable.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week (wow) basis included tomatoes (28.71%), potatoes (16.63%), eggs (2.64%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (0.91%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (0.65%), pulse masoor (0.61%), pulse mash (0.44%), cooking oil 5 litre (0.32%) and pulse gram (0.22%).

The commodities which recorded increase in their average prices included chicken (5.89%), onions (4.45%), washing soap (2.30%), wheat flour (2.17%), rice basmati broken (2.04%), rice irri-6/9 (1.74%), sugar (1.31%), firewood (1.27%) and salt powdered (1.08%).