Islamabad: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed an increase of 8.4 percent on year-on-year basis in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 8.4 percent in the previous month and 8.2 percent in August 2020, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

As per the monthly review of price indices by the PBS, on month-on-month (MoM) basis, it increased by 0.6 percent in August 2021 as compared to increase of 1.3 percent in the previous month and an increase of 0.6 percent in August 2020.

The National Consumer Price Index for August 2021 increased by 0.58 percent over July 2021 and increased by 8.35 percent over corresponding month of the last year i.e. August 2020.

The CPI inflation urban, increased by 8.3 percent on year-on-year (YoY) basis in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 8.7 percent in the previous month and 7.1 percent in August 2020.

On month-on-month basis, it increased by 0.5 percent in August 2021 as compared to increase of 1.29 percent in the previous month and an increase of 0.8 percent in August 2020.

The CPI inflation rural, increased by 8.4 percent on YoY basis in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 8.0 percent in the previous month and 9.9 percent in August 2020.

August inflation reading comes in at 8.4%

On MoM basis, it increased by 0.7 percent in August 2021 as compared to increase of 1.4 percent in the previous month and an increase of 0.4 percent in August 2020.

The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) inflation on YoY increased by 15.9 percent in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 16.2 percent a month earlier and an increase of 11.7 percent in August 2020.

On MoM basis, it increased by 0.7 percent in August 2021 as compared to increase of 1.8 percent a month earlier and an increase of 0.9 percent in August 2020.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on YoY basis increased by 17.1 percent in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 17.3 percent a month earlier and an increase of 3.3 percent in August 2020.

The WPI inflation on MoM basis increased by 1.2 percent in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 2.3 percent a month earlier and an increase of 1.3 percent in corresponding month i.e. August 2020.

Measured by non-food non-energy urban increased by 6.3 percent on YoY basis in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 6.9 percent in the previous month and 5.6 percent in August 2020.

On MoM basis, it increased by 0.2percent in August 2021 as compared to increase of 0.8percent in previous month, and an increase of 0.7 percent in corresponding month of last year i.e. August 2020.

Measured by non-food non-energy rural increased by 6.2 percent on YoY basis in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 6.9 percent in the previous month and 7.6 percent in August 2020.

On MoM basis, it increased by 0.2 percent in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.7 percent in previous month, and an increase of 0.8 percent in corresponding month of last year i.e. August 2020.

Measured by 20 percent weighted trimmed mean Urban increased by 7.8 percent on YoY basis in August 2021 as compared to 9.0 percent in the previous month and 7.0 percent in August 2020.

On MoM basis, it increased by 0.4 percent in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.8 percent in the previous month and an increase of 1.3 percent in corresponding month of last year i.e. August 2020.

Measured by 20 percent weighted trimmed mean Rural increased by 7.8 percent on YoY basis in August 2021 as compared to 8.4 percent in the previous month and by 9.3 percent in August 2020. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.6 percent in August 2021 as compared to an increase of 0.8 percent in the previous month and an increase of 1.0 percent in corresponding month of last year i.e. August 2020.

Top few commodities which varied from previous month and contributed to Urban CPI among food which registered increase are tomatoes (17.84percent), vegetables (12.52percent), beans (5.09percent), milk (1.94percent), potatoes (1.84percent), vegetable ghee (1.75percent), sugar (1.36percent), and cooking oil (1.11percent), and decreased among chicken (11.98percent), fruits (7.75percent), pulse gram (5.18percent), condiments and spices (2.75percent), moong (2.35percent), and eggs (1.64percent), according to the PBS data.

Among non-food items, which registered increase are Liquefied Hydrocarbons (18.23percent), motor fuel (2.80percent), construction input items (0.98percent), and drugs and medicines (0.67percent).

On YoY, top few commodities, which varied from the previous year and contributed to the UCPI among food items, which registered increased are vegetable ghee (36.34percent), tomatoes (35.15percent), cooking oil (33.96percent), mustard oil (33.11percent), eggs (23.68percent), chicken (20.47percent), meat (13.71percent), and milk (10.64percent), and decreased: potatoes (19.35percent), moong (17.23percent), onions (1.36percent), and wheat (1.03percent)

July CPI inflation jumps 8.4pc YoY

Among non-food which increased liquefied hydrocarbons (63.79percent), footwear (16.2percent), motor fuel (15.82percent), washing soap (12.56percent), woolen readymade garments (12.08percent), hosiery (11.38percent), and construction input items (10.45percent).

Top few commodities which varied from previous month and contributed to Rural CPI and which increased among food items are vegetables (17.35percent), tomatoes (7.40percent), onions (6.02percent), cooking oil (4.99percent), vegetable ghee (4.94percent), sugar (2.68percent), mustard oil (2.63percent), potatoes (1.91percent), meat (1.57percent), and milk (1.05percent), and decreased among chicken (14.90percent), fruits (11.14percent), moong (6.85percent), condiments and spices (5.61percent), gram (2.45percent), gram whole (1.81percent), and maash (1.30percent).

Among non-food items, which increased are liquefied hydrocarbons (12.94percent), motor fuels (2.97percent), construction input items (2.37percent), furniture and furnishing (1.45percent), and motor vehicles (1.39percent).

On YoY basis, the top few commodities, which varied from previous year which increased and contributed to Rural CPI among cooking oil (40.04percent), vegetable ghee (36.91percent), mustard oil (36.18percent), vegetables (21.27percent), eggs (19.59percent), tomatoes (18.93percent), meat (16.13percent), chicken (10.52percent) and sugar (10.06percent), and decreased among moong (19.92percent), potatoes (15.29percent), and condiments and spices (5.52percent).

Among non-food items which increased are liquefied hydrocarbons (48.36percent), motor fuels (14.62percent), hosiery (14.38percent), clinic fee (12.3percent), washing soap (11.49percent), construction input items (11.46percent), woolen cloth (11.02percent) and woolen readymade garments (10.01percent).

Top few commodities which varied from previous month and contributed to the WPI inflation and increased included vegetables (22.83percent), steel bar sheets (6.30percent), fibre crops (5.85percent), vegetable ghee (3.30percent), maize (3.27percent), motor spirit (3.16percent), fertilisers (2.65percent), pesticides (2.53percent), cement (2.20percent), and furnace oil (2.13percent), and decreased among stimulant and spice crops (21.74percent), jowar (13.25percent), poultry (12.59percent), fruits (10.36percent), potatoes (5.59percent), and eggs (1.24percent).

YoY top few commodities, which varied from previous year i.e. August, 2020 and increased among bajra (88.71percent), fibre crops (76.63percent), oil seeds (53.83percent), furnace oil (50.67percent), vegetable ghee (45.00percent), steel bar sheets (42.98percent), spices (37.65percent), kerosene oil (34.64percent), cotton yarn (23.46percent), diesel (23.41percent), fertilisers (23.23percent), eggs (22.93percent), vegetables (22.15percent), and poultry (20.27percent), and decreased among potatoes (24.05percent), stimulant and spice crops (10.87percent), jowar (10.13percent), and wheat (1.41percent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021