CPI based inflation remains in single digit at 3.8pc

ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) on year-on-year basis during October 2017 witnessed an increase of 3.80 per cent as compared to the same month of previous year.

On month-on-month basis, the inflation was recorded at 0.75 per cent in October 2017 as compared to September 2017, according to data released by Director Prices of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Attique-ur-Rehman during a press conference here Monday.

He was flanked by Consultant Census PBS, Asif Bajwa and other top officials of the bureau.

As per the data, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) during the month increased by 0.61 percent while the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) witnessed growth of 0.86 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 3.80 per cent as compared to the same month of last year.

Similarly, the CPI for non-perishable food items increased to 0.78 per cent, perishable items by 16.39 per cent, clothing and footwear 3.79 per cent, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 4.88 per cent, furnishing and household equipment maintenance 3.06 per cent, health 10.57 percent while the CPI for transport increased by 3.90 percent.

In addition, the CPI for communication increased by 1.40 per cent, recreation and culture by 0.32 percent, education by 11.46 percent, restaurant and hotel 6.57 percent while the CPI for miscellaneous goods and service increased by 5.23 percent.

On year-on-year basis, the top items which witnessed increase in prices in October 2017 compared to October 2016 included onion (178.60%), tomatoes (70.98%), iron bar (20.47%), tea packet (16.45), petrol (13.89), gas cylinder (13.73%), potatoes (12.16%), private school fee (10.73%), unskilled labour wage rate (9.63%), IT Tution fee (9,09%) and diesel (8.87%).

The items that witnessed decrease in prices during the month of October 2017 included garlic (39.91%), mash pulse (26.82%), cigarette (24%), gram pulse (21.58%), sugar (21.17%), masoor pulse (18.59%), moong pulse (18.02%), cucumber (17.60%), chicken (16.68%), gram whole (15.21%), besan (14.28%) and bananas (4.57%).

The trimmed core inflation during the month of October 2017 increased 4 per cent compared to October 2016 while the non-food and non-energy core inflation increased 5.3 percent in October 2017 compared to October 2016.