ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended April 16 has recorded a reduction of 0.69 percent, due to a decline in the prices of diesel by 25.77 percent, chicken by 10.07 percent, and onions by 6.63 percent, according to weekly data released on Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Other items that witnessed a reduction in prices included Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), 4.15 percent, wheat flour, 3.34 percent, petrol, 3.10 percent, bananas, 2.78 percent, garlic, 1.29 percent, mustard oil, 0.80 percent, pulse mash, 0.74 percent, firewood, 0.58 percent, and potatoes, 0.56 percent.
On the other hand, an increase was observed in the prices of tomatoes, 6.27 percent, bread, 3.27 percent, eggs, 2.09 percent, milk fresh, 1.15 percent, lawn printed, 1.06 percent, washing soap, 0.66 percent, long cloth, 0.52 percent, curd, 0.46 percent, shirting and mutton, 0.21 percent each, powdered milk, 0.16 percent, and vegetable ghee 2.5 kg, 0.07 percent.
READ MORE: Weekly SPI-based inflation up 1.93pc
Of 51 items included in the SPI basket, the prices of 17 items, or 33.33 percent, witnessed a hike, the prices of 17 items, or 33.33 percent, recorded a reduction, and the prices of 17 items, or 33.33 percent, remained unchanged.
The year-on-year (YoY) trend depicts an increase of 12.16 percent owing to an increase in the prices of tomatoes, 69.35 percent, LPG, 60.40 percent, diesel, 49.22 percent, petrol, 44.10 percent, onions, 42.67 percent), gas charges for Q1, 29.85 percent, wheat flour, 28.80 percent, chili powder, 15.20 percent, mutton, 14.67 percent, beef, 13.27 percent, powdered milk, 10.41 percent, and garlic, 9.51 percent.
On a YoY basis, a downward trend was observed in the prices of potatoes, 45.43 percent, pulse gram, 20 percent, salt powder, 12.78 percent, sugar, 11.65 percent, pulse masoor, 11.63 percent, chicken, 8.69 percent, and pulse moong, 1.87 percent.
Breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs 17,732 saw a 0.36 percent reduction, with SPI plunging from 334.17 to 332.97 points. For the Rs 17,733-22,888 income group, SPI reduced by 0.44 percent, going down from 338.75 to 337.26 points.
Households earning Rs 22,889-29,517, the inflation recorded a 1.17 percent reduction as it went down from 361.01 to 359.27 points, while the Rs 29,518-44,175 bracket saw SPI jumping down by 1.56 percent from 350.05 to 347.98 points. The highest income group, Rs 44,175 and above, recorded a 0.59 percent reduction, taking SPI from 357.90 to 354.89 points.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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