SPI Falls 0.81% Amid Mixed Price Changes

Islamabad, May 30 — Pakistan’s short-term inflation, tracked by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), plummeted 0.81% for the week ending May 29, 2025, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics revealed Friday, though it rose 0.41% year-on-year. Prices of 10 items dropped, led by electricity charges (-10.1%), chicken (-8.5%), LPG (-2.7%), and sugar (-0.25%), while 14 items surged, with tomatoes (+4.5%), potatoes (+2.9%), and eggs (+2.2%) driving the increase. The remaining 27 items held steady.

The lowest income group saw a 0.67% SPI drop, and the highest income group a 0.74% decline weekly, but annually, the lowest faced a 0.22% decrease, while the highest endured a 1.50% rise. Key commodities showed Sona urea at Rs4,467 per 50kg bag (down 0.09%) and cement at Rs1,417 per 50kg (down slightly but 14.6% higher year-on-year). The SPI monitors 51 essential items across 17 cities.

Web context highlights Pakistan’s inflation volatility (e.g., 11% average, web ID: 0), while posts found on X reflect mixed relief—some cheer price drops, others warn of food price spikes. Critically, the narrative of “declining inflation” may mask uneven impact—web sources note income disparity, and X sentiment suggests distrust in sustainability, hinting at underlying economic fragility.