Combined income groups: SPI inflation down 1.16 percent WoW

Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) on year-on-year (YoY) basis during (February 28, 2019 to February 27, 2020) has witnessed an increase of 14.60 percent from 112.70 points to 129.15 points, the SPI data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) said.

However on week-on-week (WoW) basis the weekly inflation during week ended February 27 against February 20 has witnessed a decline of 1.16 percent for combined income groups from 130.67 points to 129.16 points, the PBS revealed.

The SPI for the lowest income group with monthly income up to Rs17,732 witnessed a reduction of 1.34 percent from 134.03 points to 132.23 points on WoW basis and on YoY basis it went up by 12.95 percent from 117.07 points to 132.23 points, the PBS added.

For the income group with monthly income of Rs17,732-22,888, weekly inflation registered a decline of 1.85 percent from 129.77 points to 127.37 points, while on annual basis, it witnessed an increase of 13 percent from 112.72 points to 127.37 points.

For the monthly income group of Rs22,889-29,517, the SPI went down by 1.23 percent from 131.66 points to 130.04 points, however on annual basis it went up by 16.72 percent from 111.41 points to 130.04 points. Weekly inflation for the income group with monthly income of Rs29,518-44,175 went down by 0.92 percent from 128.75 points to 127.56 points, while on annual basis the SPI for the above income group went up by 16.45 percent from 109.54 points to 127.56 points.

For the income group of Rs44,175 or above monthly income groups, weekly inflation registered a decline of 0.75 percent from 132.53 points to 131.53 points, and on annual basis the SPI for the above income group went up by 14.43 percent from 114.94 points to 131.53 points.

According to the PBS, during the week under review prices of following 13 commodities witnessed an increase: Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder of 11.67kg from Rs1,576 per cylinder to Rs1,834 per cylinder, bananas from Rs82 per dozen to Rs86 per dozen, onions from Rs66 per kg to Rs69 per kg, Dalda vegetable ghee of 2.5kg pack from Rs647 per tin to Rs653 per tin.

Moreover, prices of Sufi washing soap, Mustard oil, beef, Irri-6 rice, curd, fresh milk, cooked daal, moong pulse, and cooked beef also witnessed increase. According to the PBS, prices of the following 13 items witnessed a reduction: electricity charges, tomatoes, eggs, chicken, gram pulse, potatoes, refined sugar, wheat flour bag, masoor pulse, garlic, firewood, mash pulse, and gur.

During the week, prices of the following 25 items remain unchanged: powdered milk, salt powder, Lipton Yellow Label tea, cigarettes, printed lawn, gents sandals, ladies sandals, electricity changes, energy saver, gas charges, Sufi washing soap, match box, super petrol, and high speed diesel.