SPI-based weekly inflation records 48.35pc increase YoY

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended May 4, 2023, recorded an increase of 48.35 percent on a year-on-year basis due to an increase in the prices of food and non-food items, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The SPI for the week ended on May 4, 2023, increased by 1.05 percent due to an increase in the prices of food items including chicken (8.91 percent), potatoes (3.99 percent), powdered milk (3.81 percent), pulse gram (1.96 percent), eggs (1.81 percent), mutton (1.71 percent), bread (1.13 percent) and non-food items, gents sponge chappal (58.05 percent), gents sandal (33.36 percent) and ladies sandal (14.31 percent).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 48.35 percent mainly due to increase in the prices of wheat flour (177.61 percent), cigarettes (146.44 percent), potatoes (123 percent), gas charges for q1 (108.38 percent), tea Lipton (104.28 percent), gents sponge chappal (100.33 percent), diesel (99.39 percent), eggs (95.45 percent), rice basmati broken (89.31 percent), bananas (87.86 percent), petrol (87.81 percent), rice irri-6/9 (84.43 percent), moong (68.44 percent), bread (62.83 percent) and maash (60.59 percent), while a decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (50.09 percent), onions (10.03 percent) and chilies powdered (6.48 percent).

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 254.84 points against 252.20 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 30 (58.82 percent) items increased, nine (17.65 percent) items decreased and 12 (23.53 percent) items remained stable.

The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs 17,732, Rs 17,732-22,888, Rs 22,889-29,517, Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 consumption group increased by 0.94 percent, 1.03 percent, 1.05 percent, 1.09 percent, and 1.02 percent respectively.

The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over previous include gents sponge chappal Bata pair (58.05 percent), gents sandal Bata pair (33.36 percent), ladies sandal Bata pair (14.31 percent), chicken farm broiler (8.91 percent), potatoes (3.99 percent), powdered milk Nido 390 gm polybag each (3.81 percent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (2.05 percent), pulse gram (1.96 percent), gur (1.93 percent), masoor (1.83 percent), eggs (1.81 percent), mutton (1.71 percent), maash (1.58 percent), cooked daal (1.36 percent), Sufi washing soap (1.27 percent), bread plain (1.13 percent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (0.93 percent), rice basmati broken (0.85 percent), bananas (0.82 percent), milk fresh (0.81 percent), cooked beef (0.75 percent), curd (0.59 percent), rice irri-6/9 (0.57 percent), match box (0.56 percent), beef with bone (0.54 percent), moong (0.50 percent), tea prepared (0.44 percent), georgette (0.36 percent), shirting (0.35 percent), and sugar (0.26 percent).

The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average onions (16.69 percent), garlic (3.44 percent), tomatoes (3.41 percent), hi-speed diesel (1.70 percent), mustard oil (0.99 percent), LPG (0.96 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.40 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.10 percent) and vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (0.10 percent). The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included salt powdered, chilies powder National 200 gm, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cigarettes Capstan, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, electricity charges, gas charges, firewood whole 40 kg, energy saver, petrol super and telephone call charges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023