SPI-Based Weekly Inflation Declines Due to Shrinking Food/Non-Food Prices

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week that ended on 11 August 2022 recorded a decrease of 0.08 percent due to a decline in the prices of food and non-food items, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year (YoY) trend depicts an increase of 37.69 percent, mainly due to an increase in the prices of pulse masoor (111.90 percent), diesel (109.15 percent), onions (90.05 percent), petrol (88.94 percent), cooking oil — five liters (73.50 percent), mustard oil (72.31 percent), vegetable ghee — one kg (70.54 percent), vegetable ghee — 2.5 kg (67.61 percent), washing soap (61.92 percent), pulse gram (59.51 percent), chicken (57.14 percent), electricity for q1 (52.61 percent), gents sponge chappal (52.21 percent), pulse mash (51.08 percent) and garlic (37.88 percent), while a decrease observed in the prices of chili powder (43.42 percent), sugar (16.52 percent), and gur (2.60 percent).

According to the latest data, the SPI went down from 207.17 percent during the week ended on 4 August to 209.01 percent during the week under review. The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs. 17,732, Rs. 17,733 to Rs. 22,888, Rs. 22,889 to Rs. 29,517, Rs. 29,518 to Rs. 44,175; and for above Rs, 44,175, decreased by 0.12 percent, 0.10 percent, 0.09 percent, 0.08 percent, and 0.07 percent respectively.

During the week, the prices of 26 (50.98 percent) of 51 items increased, 09 (17.65 percent) items decreased, and 16 (31.37 percent) items remained stable, the PBS said.

The items, the prices of which increased, included tomatoes (10.35 percent), powdered salt (National/Shan) — 800 gm packet each (3.73 percent), eggs (3.67 percent), pulse mash (3.65 percent), pulse moong (3.18 percent), pulse masoor (2.13 percent), garlic (2.03 percent), toilet soap — Lifebuoy (1.58 percent), firewood whole — 40 kg (1.36 percent), tea — Lipton yellow label (1.29 percent), match box (0.76 percent), pulse gram (0.76 percent), cooked daal (0.74 percent), powdered milk — Nido 390 gm polybag each (0.52 percent), potatoes (0.45 percent), georgette (0.43 percent), yogurt (0.39 percent), energy saver (0.38 percent), mutton (0.34 percent), gur (0.32 percent), shirting (0.16 percent), beef with bone (0.15 percent), Sufi washing soap (0.12 percent), cooked beef (0.12 percent), milk fresh (0.08 percent), and wheat flour — 20 kg bag (0.04 percent).

The items for which a decrease in prices was registered include onions (10.18 percent), bananas (2.71 percent), LPG (1.10 percent), chicken — farm broiler (1.03 percent), vegetable ghee — Dalda/Habib or other superior quality one kg pouch each (0.79 percent), vegetable ghee — Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.55 percent), mustard oil (0.36 percent), basmati rice — broken (0.33 percent), and cooking oil — Dalda or other similar brand (sn), five-liter tin each (0.17 percent).

The items whose prices remained unchanged included rice — irri-6/9 (Sindh/Punjab), bread — plain (small), sugar, chili powder — National, tea — prepared, cigarettes — Capstan 20s packet each, long cloth 57 inches — Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, lawn printed — Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, gents sandals — Bata pair, gents sponge chappal — Bata pair, ladies sandal — Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, petrol — super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.