CPI based inflation remains in single digit at 3.8pc

ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) on  year-on-year basis during September 2017 witnessed an increase of 3.86 per cent as compared to the same month of previous year.

On month-on-month basis, the inflation was recorded at  0.63 per cent in September 2017 as compared to July 2017, according to data released by the top officials of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) during a press conference here Monday.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) during the month increased  by 0.06 percent while the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) witnessed growth of 2.13 percent.

It is pertinent to mention that PBS collects the retail and the wholesale prices and computes the CPI and WPI on monthly basis while the SPI is calculated on weekly basis.

The CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 3.86 per cent as compared to the same month of last year.

Similarly, the CPI for non-perishable food items increased to 1.18 per cent, clothing and footwear 3.93 per cent, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 5.3 per cent, furnishing and household equipment maintenance 3.07 per cent, health 11.41 percent while the CPI for transport increased by 3.19 percent.

In addition, the CPI for communication increased by 1.65 per cent, recreation and culture by 0.32 percent, education by 8.27 percent, restaurant and hotel 5.63 percent while the CPI for miscellaneous goods and service increased by 5.54 percent.

On year-on-year basis, the top items which witnessed increase in prices in September 2017 compared to September 2016 included onion (98.33%), tomatoes (58.46%) Mango Kalmi (23.58%), Karaila (13.07%), Lemon (6.15%), Cucumber (4.53%), eggs (4%), gram whole (3.18%), gas cylinder (3.81%) and petrol (2.88%).

The items that witnessed decrease in prices during the month of September 2017 included chicken (16.19%), apple (14.26%), pomegranate (9.96%), bananas (9.38%), sugar (6.96%), brinjal (6.59%), tea packet (4.95%), green chillies (3.85%), Arvi (3.58%), grapes (3.16%), garlic (2.62%), masoor pulse (2.27%) and mash pulse (1.11%).

Meanwhile the average CPI based inflation during the first quarter of the current fiscal year (July-September) witnessed increase of 3.39 percent compared to July-September (2016-17).