The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) based inflation for combined income groups has witnessed an increase of 0.57 percent during the week ended November 7, 2019 against October 31, 2019 as it jumped from 130.36 points to 131.10 points, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said Friday.

According to the PBS weekly inflation-related data based on 2015-16 mechanism covering 17 urban and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups, the SPI for combined income groups on annual basis recorded 19.03 percent increase from 110.14 points on November 8, 2018 to 131.10 points on November 7, 2019.

According to the data, the SPI for income group with monthly income of Rs 17,732 registered an increase of 0.80 percent on weekly basis from 134.22 points to 135.29 points and on annual basis it went up by 19.28 percent from 113.42 points to 135.29 points. For the income group of Rs 17,732-22,888, the SPI recorded an increase of 0.75 percent from 130.05 points to 131.02 points and on annual basis it witnessed an increase of 19.96 percent from 109.22 points to 131.02 points.

For the monthly income group of Rs 22,889-29,517, weekly inflation increased by 0.65 percent from 131.56 points to 132.41 points and on annual basis it went up by 22.09 percent from 108.45 points to 132.41 points. Weekly inflation for the income group with monthly income of Rs 29,518-44,175 jumped up by 0.60 percent from 128.51 points to 129.28 points and on annual basis SPI for the above income group jumped up by 20.81 percent from 107.01 points to 129.28 points.

For the income group of Rs 44,175 or above monthly income, weekly inflation went up by 0.49 percent from 131.89 points to 132.53 points and on annual basis SPI for the income group witnessed an increase of 17.95 percent from 112.36 points to 132.53 points.

During the week under review, prices of the following 20 commodities witnessed an increase: tomatoes, onions, garlic, pulse mash, pulse Masoor, pulse Moong, plain bread, petrol, match box, high speed diesel and others.

While average prices of 7 items during the week under review registered a reduction which include; local bananas, chicken, potatoes, liquefied petroleum gas, refined sugar, pulse gram and wheat flour.

According to PBS, during the aforementioned period prices of 24 items remained unchanged, including basmati rice, cooking oil, gents sandals, ladies sandals, yogurt, fresh milk, telephone call charges, clothing, powdered salt and others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019