ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation increased by 11.1 percent on year-on-year basis in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 8.5 percent in April 2020, mainly due to increase in prices of food items, fruits and clothing and footwear, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
According to the monthly review of price indices by the PBS, on month-on-month basis, the CPI increased by 1 percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.4 percent in March and a decrease of 0.8 percent in April 2020.
The National Consumer Price Index for April 2021 is increased by 1.03 percent over March 2021 and increased by 11.1 percent over corresponding month of the last year, ie, April 2020.
The CPI inflation Urban, increased by 11 percent on year-on-year basis in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 8.7 percent in the previous month and 7.7 percent in April 2020. On month-on-month basis, it increased by 1.3 percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.3 percent in the previous month and a decrease of 0.7 percent in April 2020. CPI inflation Rural, increased by 11.3 percent on year-on-year basis in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 9.5 percent in the previous month and 9.8 percent in April 2020. On month-on-month basis, it increased by 0.6 percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.5 percent in the previous month and a decrease of 1.1 percent in April 2020.
The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) inflation on YoY increased by 21.3 percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 18.7percent a month earlier and an increase of 9.3percent in April 2020. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.4percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 5.7percent a month earlier and a decrease of 1.8percent in April 2020. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on YoY basis increased by 16.6percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 14.6percent a month earlier and an increase of 4.9percent in April 2020. WPI inflation on MoM basis decreased by 0.4percent in April 2021 as compared to an increase of 3.7percent a month earlier and a decrease of 2.0percent in corresponding month i.e. April 2020.
Measured by non-food non-energy urban increased by 7.0percent on (YoY) basis in April, 2021 as compared to an increase of 6.3percent in the previous month and 6.4percent in April, 2020. On (MoM) basis, it increased by 0.9percent in April, 2021 as compared to increase of 0.2percent in previous month, and an increase of 0.2percent in corresponding month of last year, ie, April, 2020.
Measured by non-food non-energy Rural increased by 7.7percent on (YoY) basis in April, 2021 as compared to an increase of 7.3percent in the previous month and 8.5percent in April, 2020. On (MoM) basis, it increased by 0.7percent in April, 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.3percent in previous month, and an increase of 0.3percent in corresponding month of last year, ie, April, 2020. Measured by 20percent weighted trimmed mean Urban increased by 9.8percent on (YoY) basis in April, 2021 as compared to 8.1percent in the previous month and 6.7percent in April, 2020. On (MoM) basis, it increased by 0.6percent in April, 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.4percent in the previous month and a decrease of 0.2percent in corresponding month of last year, ie, April, 2020.
Measured by 20percent weighted trimmed mean Rural increased by 10.6percent on (YoY) basis in April, 2021 as compared to 9.4percent in the previous month and by 9.3percent in April, 2020. On (MoM) basis, it increased by 0.2percent in April, 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.3percent in the previous month and a decrease of 0.6percent in corresponding month of last year, ie, April, 2020. According to PBS data, top few commodities which varied from previous month and contributed to Urban CPI among food which registered increase are tomatoes (67.70 percent), vegetables (29.55percent), fruits (22.32percent), potatoes (15.81percent), chicken (7.31percent), cooking oil (2.99percent), vegetable ghee (2.01percent), meat (1.64percent), condiments and spices(1.54percent), and gram whole (1.25percent) and decreased among wheat (9.14 percent), onions (8.33percent), wheat flour (1.94percent), sugar (1.83percent) and pulse moong (1.59percent). Among non-food items which registered increase are tailoring (4.50percent), household equipment (1.79percent), house rent (1.64percent), hosiery (1.46percent) and construction input items (1.42percent) and decreased in Liquefied Hydrocarbons (3.80percent), electricity charges (1.89percent), motor fuel (1.52percent) and solid fuel (0.37percent). On YoY top few commodities which varied from previous year and contributed to UCPI among food items which registered increased are chicken (93.14percent), tomatoes (81.49percent), eggs (42.41percent), condiments and spices (31.62percent), wheat (26.99percent), mustard oil (24.44percent), vegetable ghee (21.05percent), milk (20.37percent), cooking oil (19.23percent), sugar (18.2percent), wheat flour (16.92percent) and fresh vegetables (11.45percent) and decreased in onions (39.57percent), pulse moong (16.57percent), pulse masoor (10.2percent), pulse gram (7.13percent), besan (5.61percent) and gram whole (3.00percent). Among non-food items which increased are electricity charges (29.06percent), cotton cloth (16.56percent), footwear (16.24percent), major tools & equipment (15.06percent), cleaning and laundering (13.37percent), clinic fee (12.81percent), hosiery (12.55percent) and woolen readymade garments (12.08percent). Top few commodities which varied from previous month and contributed to Rural CPI and which increased among food items are tomatoes (55.54percent), fruits (25.20percent), vegetables (21.71percent), potatoes (12.15percent), cooking oil (2.25percent), vegetable ghee (1.83percent), meat (1.59percent) and mustard oil (1.15percent) and decreased in onions (14.47percent), wheat (10.23percent), sugar (3.13percent), pulse masoor (2.57percent), besan (2.24percent), pulse moong (1.68percent), wheat flour (1.56percent) and chicken (1.12percent). Among non-food items which increased are tailoring (2.03percent), readymade garments (1.94percent), household equipment (1.49percent), cotton cloth (1.41percent), house rent (1.16percent) and clinic fee (1.12percent) and decreased in Liquefied Hydrocarbons (3.74percent), electricity charges (1.89percent) and motor fuels (1.84percent). YoY basis the top few commodities which varied from previous year which increased among food items are chicken (85.15percent), tomatoes (60.03percent), eggs (46.14percent), wheat (24.48percent), mustard oil (23.71percent), cooking oil (23.29percent), vegetable ghee (21.38percent), wheat flour (19.33percent), sugar (16.51percent), condiments and spices (13.72percent), milk (13.48percent) and rice (13.02percent) and decreased in onions (43.53percent), pulse moong (14.66percent), besan (4.7percent), pulse gram (3.15percent), pulse masoor (2.34percent), fruits (1.30percent) and gram whole (1.14percent). Among non-food items which increased are electricity charges (29.06percent), hosiery (16.47percent), clinic fee (16.41percent), plastic products (14.24percent), cotton Cloth (13.41percent), woolen cloth (13.27percent), household equipments (12.64percent), tailoring (12.06percent) and stationery (11.12percent).
Top few commodities which varied from previous month and contributed to WPI inflation and increased are included fresh fruits (26.82percent), potatoes (22.10percent), vegetables (17.38percent), poultry (13.39percent), stimulant & spice crops (12.31percent), bajra (9.69percent), towels (6.90percent), mobil oil (4.89percent), jowar (4.63percent), hosiery products (4.50percent), cotton fabrics (4.34percent), cement (3.37percent) and meat (2.82percent) and dcreased among wheat (10.90percent), fibre crops (7.97percent), cotton yarn (6.19percent), sugar refined (4.64percent), wheat flour (2.87percent), diesel oil (2.70percent) and motor spirit (2.31percent). On YoY basis top few commodities which varied from previous year and increased are spices (136.43percent), poultry (89.4percent), furnace oil (59.56percent), eggs (49.41percent), bajra (47.33percent), cotton fabrics (37.61percent), timber (37.19percent), unmanufactured tobacco (28.66percent), vegetable oils (27.15percent), wheat (26.33percent), jowar (25.99percent), cotton yarn (24.49percent), vegetable ghee (23.82percent), fresh fruits (23.31percent), and milk (23.04percent) and decreased in hides, skins & fur skins (Raw) (9.52percent), coal not agglomerated(7.76percent), pulses(3.79percent) and other cereal flour(3.76percent).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021