The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which reflects weekly inflation for combined income group, has witnessed an increase of 5.8 percent over the same period last year, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The PBS data shows that on December 7, 2017, SPI was recorded at 224.89 points which on December 6, 2018 surged to 237.94 points for the combined income group. The data shows that over the year SPI inflation increased by:
- For the lowest income group with Rs 8,000 monthly income from 215.13 points to 219.39 points increasing by 1.98 percent
- For income group with Rs 8,000-12,000 monthly income, it went up by 2.70 percent from 222.73 points to 228.74 points,
- For income group with monthly income of Rs 12,000-18,000, SPI increased by 2.96 percent from 224.02 points to 230.64 points,
- For income group with monthly income of Rs 18,000-35,000 SPI surged by 6.35 percent from 228.26 points to 242.75 points
- For monthly income group above Rs 35,000, SPI increased by 10.06 percent.
However, the PBS data revealed that SPI inflation for the combined income group over this past week witnessed a reduction of 0.55 percent.
According to data for the week that ended on December 6 against week the week that ended on November 29, SPI reduced by
- 0.39 percent for the lowest income group with monthly income of Rs 8,000 from 220.26 points to 219.39 points,
- For the group with Rs 8,000-12,000 monthly income, SPI came down by 0.45 percent from 229.78 points to 228.74 points over the week.
During the week, SPI stood at:
- For monthly income group Rs 12,000-18,000 reduced by 0.50 percent from 231.81 points to 230.64 points,
- For monthly income group Rs 18,000-35,000 it went down by 0.55 percent from 244.09 points to 242.75 points
- For monthly income group over Rs 35,000, it reduced by 0.61 percent from 249.75 points to 248.22 points.
During the week under review, prices of 15 commodities went up which included liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) 11-kg cylinder by Rs 84.71 per cylinder from Rs 1,355.29 to Rs 1,440 per cylinder, washed Moong pulse by Rs 2.83 per kg from Rs 120.55 per kg to Rs 123.38 per kg, Yellow Label tea 200 grams pack by Rs 3.72 per pack from Rs 210.48 per pack to Rs 214.20 per pack, mash pulse by Rs 2.3 per kg from Rs 147.08 to Rs 149.40 per kg, gram pulse by Rs 2 per kg from Rs 121 per kg to Rs 123 per kg, and cooking oil/ghee price also increased by Rs 1.25 per liter from Rs 179 per kg to Rs 180.25 per kg. Moreover, prices of refined sugar, wheat, long cloth, powdered milk, gur, and pulse Masoor also went up during the week under review.
During the week under review, prices of 15 items witnessed a reduction including live chicken price reduced by Rs 25 per kg from Rs 208 to Rs 183 per kg, potatoes by Rs 3 per kg from Rs 32 per kg to Rs 29 per kg, tomatoes by Rs 2 per kg from Rs 36 per kg to Rs 34 per kg, and petrol by Rs 2 per litre. Moreover, prices of banana, eggs, kerosene oil, garlic onions, basmati rice and red chilly also reduced during the week under review.
During the week under review, prices of the following items remained unchanged:
- Plain bread,
- Average quality beef with bones,
- Mutton,
- Milk,
- Dehi, Mustard oil,
- Salt powder,
- Cooked daal,
- Cup of tea at a normal hotel,
- Gents and ladies sandals,
- Electricity bulbs,
- Gas charges,
- Soap
- Match boxes, etc.
