ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended October 24, 2024 decreased by 0.22 per cent due to a decrease in the prices of chicken (7.12 per cent), onions (5.07 per cent), gur (2.07 per cent), wheat flour (1.16 per cent), maash (1.14 per cent) and sugar (0.77 per cent), says Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 15.15 per cent, mainly due to increase in the prices of gas charges for Q1 (570 per cent), pulse gram (82.50 per cent), onions (50.25 per cent), chicken (39.12 per cent), moong (36.94 per cent), powdered milk (25.37 per cent), beef (23.46 per cent), shirting (17.02 per cent), cooked daal (15.14 per cent), garlic (14.76 per cent), Georgette (13.13 per cent), and ladies sandal (12.52 per cent), while a major decrease is observed in the prices of wheat flour (31.88 per cent), electricity charges for Q1 (20.32 per cent), chilies powder (20 per cent), diesel (17.05 per cent), petrol (12.77 per cent), cooking oil 5 Litre (8.95 per cent), rice basmati broken (7.64 per cent), sugar (5.94 per cent), eggs (5.88 per cent), bread (5.55 per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (4.76 per cent), and washing soap (0.73 per cent).

Weekly SPI inflation up 0.28pc

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 13 (25.49 per cent) items increased, 10 (19.61 per cent) items decreased, and 28 (54.90 per cent) items remained stable.

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 319.09 points against 319.79 points registered in the previous week, according to the PBS data released on Friday.

The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs17,732, Rs17,732-Rs22,888, Rs22,889-Rs29,517, Rs29,518-Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 decreased by 0.18 per cent, 0.23 per cent, 0.23 per cent, 0.24 per cent and 0.21 per cent respectively.

The items, prices of which increased during the period under review, include potatoes (3.33 per cent), garlic (2.97 per cent), moong (2.84 per cent), eggs (2.02 per cent), bananas (0.75 per cent), cooked daal (0.64 per cent), tomatoes (0.48 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.36 per cent), mustard oil (0.31 per cent), firewood whole 40kg (0.29 per cent), cooked beef (0.27 per cent) and cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (SN), 5-Litre tin each (0.13 per cent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024