ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation increased to 26.9 per cent on a year-on-year basis in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 31.4 per cent in the previous month and 26.6 per cent in October 2022, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The average CPI remained at 28.48 per cent during July-October 2023 compared to 25.48 per cent during the same period of last fiscal year.

On a month-on-month basis, it increased to 1.1 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 2.0 per cent in the previous month and an increase of 4.7 per cent in October 2022.

Pakistan’s headline inflation reading clocks in at 26.9% in October

CPI inflation Urban increased to 25.5 per cent on a year-on-year basis in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 29.7 per cent in the previous month and 24.6 per cent in October 2022. On a month-on-month basis, it increased to 1.1 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 1.7 per cent in the previous month and an increase of 4.5 per cent in October 2022.

CPI inflation Rural increased to 28.9 per cent on a year-on-year basis in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 33.9 per cent in the previous month and 29.5 per cent in October 2022. On a month-on-month basis, it increased to 1.1 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 2.5 per cent in the previous month and an increase of 5.0 per cent in October 2022.

The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) inflation on YoY basis increased to 34.2 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 32.0 per cent a month earlier and 24.0 per cent in October 2022. On a MoM basis, it increased by 0.2 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 1.7 per cent a month earlier and a decrease of 1.5 per cent in October 2022.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on a YoY basis increased to 24.6 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 26.4 per cent a month earlier and an increase of 32.6 per cent in October 2022. On a MoM basis, it decreased by 1.9 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 3.1 per cent a month earlier and a decrease of 0.5 per cent in the corresponding month of last year i.e. October 2022.

Measured by non-food non-energy urban increased to 18.5 per cent on a YoY basis in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 18.6 per cent in the previous month and 14.9 per cent in October 2022. On a MoM basis, it increased by 1.2 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 1.0 per cent in the previous month, and an increase of 1.3 per cent in the corresponding month of last year i.e. October 2022.

Measured by non-food non-energy rural increased to 26.7 per cent on a YoY basis in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 27.3 per cent in the previous month and 18.2 per cent in October 2022. On a MoM basis, it increased by 1.0 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 2.6 per cent in the previous month, and an increase of 1.5 per cent in the corresponding month of last year i.e. October 2022. Measured by a 20 per cent weighted trimmed mean urban increased to 24.6 per cent on a YoY basis in October 2023 as compared to 25.0 per cent in the previous month and 22.0 per cent in October 2022. On a MoM basis, it increased by 0.6 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 1.1 per cent in the previous month and an increase of 1.9 per cent in the corresponding month of last year i.e. October 2022.

Measured by a 20 per cent weighted trimmed mean rural increased to 30.7 per cent on YoY basis in October 2023 as compared to 33.3 per cent in the previous month and 26.7 per cent in October 2022. On a MoM basis, it increased to 0.8 per cent in October 2023 as compared to an increase of 1.7 per cent in the previous month and an increase of 2.7 per cent in corresponding month of last year i.e. October 2022.

The National Consumer Price Index for October 2023 is increased to 1.08 per cent over September 2023 and increased to 26.89 per cent over corresponding month of the last year i.e. October 2022.

The Urban Consumer Price Index for October 2023 is increased to 1.07 per cent over September 2023 and increased to 25.48 per cent over corresponding month of the last year i.e. October 2022.

On MoM basis top few commodities which varied from previous month in food which increased include onions (38.71 per cent), fresh vegetables (17.74 per cent), fresh fruits (6.49 per cent), eggs (6.05 per cent), potatoes (3.72 per cent), fish (3 per cent), condiments and spices (2.87 per cent), beans (1.51 per cent) and Nimco (1.38 per cent) and decreased in sugar (10.23 per cent), pulse gram (3.71 per cent), tomatoes (3.11 per cent), mustard oil (2.33 per cent), moong (2.05 per cent), gur (1.88 per cent), wheat flour (1.87 per cent), milk fresh (1.73 per cent), tea (1.67 per cent), wheat (1.66 per cent), vegetable ghee (1.61 per cent), besan (1.60 per cent), masoor (1.59 per cent), cooking oil (1.54 per cent), gram whole (0.88 per cent), wheat products (0.79 per cent), maash (0.37 per cent) and chicken (0.13 per cent). Among non-food that increased includes electricity charges (8.29 per cent), marriage hall charges (5.43 per cent), accommodation services (4.50 per cent), liquefied hydrocarbons (3.87 per cent), drugs and medicines (3.72 per cent), education (3.23 per cent), doctor (MBBS) clinic fee (3.02 per cent), woollen readymade garments (2.36 per cent), therapeutic appliances and equipment (2.33 per cent), electrical appliances for personal (1.97 per cent), furniture & furnishing (1.96 per cent) and woollen cloth (1.89 per cent) and decreased in motor fuel (4.02 per cent), transport services (1.56 per cent) and construction input items (0.97 per cent).

On a YoY basis top few commodities which varied from the corresponding month of the previous year, i.e., October 2022 which increased in food include condiments and spices (84.54 per cent), sugar (69.90 per cent), gur (64.79 per cent), wheat flour (63.36 per cent), rice (62.27 per cent), beans (56.82 per cent), tea (54.92 per cent), beverages (45.91 per cent), wheat products (43.48 per cent), dry fruits (42.03 per cent), dessert preparation (41.94 per cent), potatoes (41.38 per cent), pulse mash (39.70 per cent), wheat (37.72 per cent) and milk powder (36.62 per cent) and decreased in tomatoes (45.62 per cent), onions (17.20 per cent), fresh vegetables (10.55 per cent), pulse gram (3.43 per cent) and mustard oil (0.21 per cent).

Among non-food which increased include textbooks (95.09 per cent), gas charges (62.82 per cent), electricity charges (50.63 per cent), washing soap/ detergents/ matchbox (48.44 per cent), stationery (46.79 per cent), communication apparatus (39.52 per cent), household equipment (37.26 per cent), marriage hall charges (37.16 per cent), drugs and medicines (36.69 per cent), newspapers (34.15 per cent), personal effects (33.15 per cent), accommodation services (31.87 per cent), motor fuel (30.80 per cent), motor vehicle accessories (28.37 per cent) and solid fuel (27.12 per cent).

The Rural Consumer Price Index for October 2023 increased to 1.10 per cent over September 2023 and increased to 28.90 per cent over the corresponding month of the last year, i.e., October 2022.

On a MoM basis, top few commodities which varied from the previous month in food items which increased include onions (33.96 per cent), fresh vegetables (21.76 per cent), beans (5.14 per cent), potatoes (4.23 per cent), condiments and spices (3.65 per cent), fish (3.63 per cent), fresh fruits (3.40 per cent), sweetmeat (3.37 per cent), eggs (2.84 per cent), dry fruits (2.34 per cent), butter (2.23 per cent), meat (1.93 per cent) and readymade food (1.85 per cent) and decreased in sugar (9.47 per cent), gur (5.72 per cent), vegetable ghee (4.31 per cent), cooking oil (3.83 per cent), tomatoes (3.28 per cent), pulse gram (2.98 per cent), chicken (2.64 per cent), pulse moong (2.21 per cent), wheat flour (2.15 per cent), gram whole (1.44 per cent), wheat (1.26 per cent), mustard oil (1.17 per cent), tea (1.00 per cent), besan (0.99 per cent), rice (0.69 per cent), and wheat products (0.18 per cent).

Among non-food items which increased include electricity charges (8.29 per cent), doctor clinic fee (4.37 per cent), footwear (3.69 per cent), medical tests (3.39 per cent), drugs and medicines (3.00 per cent), furniture and furnishing (3.00 per cent), washing soaps, detergents and match box (2.59 per cent) each, stationery (2.06 per cent), appliances/ articles/ products for personal care (1.84 per cent), house rent (1.65 per cent), major tools and equipment (1.53 per cent), woollen readymade garments (1.53 per cent), household textiles (1.46 per cent), tailoring (1.26 per cent), recreation and culture (1.11 per cent), hosiery (1.09 per cent), cleaning and laundering (1.05 per cent), solid fuel (1.04 per cent) and woollen cloth (1.02 per cent) and decreased in personal effects (2.70 per cent) and transport services (0.84 per cent).

Top few commodities which varied from the corresponding month of the previous year, i.e., October 2022 among which increased include sugar (74.67 per cent), rice (65.71 per cent), wheat flour (59.29 per cent), tea (58.42 per cent), gur (57.31 per cent), dry fruits (54.64 per cent), condiments and spices (51.65 per cent), dessert preparation (51.48 per cent), wheat products (49.00 per cent), beverages (46.91 per cent), beans (46.49 per cent), bakery and confectionary (38.79 per cent), maash (38.44 per cent), potatoes (36.90 per cent), wheat (36.85 per cent) and milk products (35.18 per cent) and decreased in tomatoes (52.48 per cent), onions (22.68 per cent), fresh vegetables (7.29 per cent), vegetable ghee (3.76 per cent), pulse gram (2.40 per cent) and cooking oil (2.26 per cent). Among non-food which increased include washing soaps, detergents and matchbox (52.40 per cent) each, electricity charges (50.63 per cent), transport services (47.85 per cent), newspapers (46.34 per cent), appliances/ articles/ products for personal care (45.96 per cent), stationery (44.73 per cent), motor fuels (39.51 per cent), personal effects (37.61 per cent), household equipment (37.36 per cent) and marriage hall charges (35.67 per cent).

Top few commodities which varied from previous month and increased include eggs (8.16 per cent), edible roots/ potatoes (7.09 per cent), stimulant and spice crops (6.79 per cent), electrical energy (5.48 per cent), lighting equipments (3.27 per cent), woven fabrics (2.81 per cent), processed liquid milk (2.62 per cent), fertilisers (2.46 per cent) and medicines (2.23 per cent) and decreased in sugar crops (13.64 per cent), steel bar and sheets (11.38 per cent), sugar refined (9.21 per cent), maize (9.10 per cent), furnace oil (9.02 per cent), sorghum/ jowar (7.12 per cent), millet/ bajra (6.59 per cent), kerosene oil (5.48 per cent), motor spirit (4.82 per cent), chemicals (4.23 per cent), vegetable ghee (3.14 per cent), other cereal flour (2.83 per cent), wheat flour (2.45 per cent), vegetable oils refined (2.02 per cent), wheat (1.60 per cent), raw milk from bovine animals (1.55 per cent), dry fruits (1.48 per cent), vegetables & pulses (1.21 per cent) each and poultry (1.10 per cent). YoY top few commodities which varied from the previous year and increased include stimulant and spice crops (175.67 per cent), lighting equipments (152.15 per cent), matches (127.61 per cent), dry fruits (97.99 per cent), tobacco products (93.57 per cent), spices (78.46 per cent), un-manufactured tobacco (69.50 per cent), steel products (69.09 per cent), sugar refined (68.62 per cent), beverages (62.04 per cent), rice (61.28 per cent), wheat flour (52.71 per cent), fruit juices (50.27 per cent), dried fruits and nuts (50.22 per cent), edible roots/potatoes (50.20 per cent), and dairy products (49.07 per cent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023