Weekly SPI slightly up

ISLAMABAD: Upsurge in vegetable prices keeps the inflation in the positive zone as the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the current week ended on October 16, 2025, increased by 0.49 percent.

According to the statistics issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), a major increase is observed in the prices of tomatoes 33.20 percent, onions 8.70 percent, eggs 2.18 percent, wheat flour 1.42 percent, garlic 0.85 percent, potatoes 0.71percent, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg 0.63 percent, vegetable ghee 1kg 0.56 percent, firewood 0.40 percent, LPG 0.18 percent, washing soap 0.08 percent and shirting 0.07 percent.

On the other hand, a major decrease was observed in the prices of chicken 6.38 percent, bananas 4.70 percent, pulse gram 2.20percent, petrol 2.09 percent, diesel 0.55 percent, rice basmati broken 0.51 percent, pulse moong 0.49 percent, and rice IRRI-6/90.03 percent.

During the week, out of 51 items, the prices of 24 (47.06 percent) items increased, 08 (15.69 percent) items decreased, and19 (37.25 percent) items remained stable.

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 4.57 percent. Major increase is observed in the prices of tomatoes 121.38percent, ladies sandal 55.62 percent, sugar 36.94 percent, gas charges for Q1 29.85 percent, wheat flour 16.92 percent, gur15.90 percent, beef 12.95 percent, vegetable ghee 1 kg 12.39 percent, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg 12.10percent, firewood 11.71percent, diesel 9.75percent and eggs 9.02 percent, while decrease is observed in the prices of onions 33.55 percent, chicken 29.81 percent, pulse gram 28.86 percent, garlic 28.48 percent, electricity charges for Q1 26.26 percent, tea Lipton 17.93 percent, pulse mash 17.55percent, potatoes 16.97 percent, pulse masoor 4.11 percent and LPG 3.44 percent.

For households spending up to Rs17,732 per month, the SPI increased by 1.07 percent, rising to 329.37 from 325.88 points.

For the Rs17,732-22,888 bracket, the SPI rose by 0.92 percent to 326.88, up from 323.89 points.

Those in the Rs22,889-29,517 expenditure group saw a 0.71 percent increase to 349.23 from 346.76 points. The Rs29,518 to 44,175 bracket registered a 0.59 percent rise, with the SPI at 335.97 compared to 333.99 points previously.

For households with monthly expenditures above Rs44,175, the SPI recorded a 0.29 percent increase to 332.07 from 331.11 points.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025