SPI Falls 1.41% YoY, 0.11% WoW in June Week

Islamabad, June 13, 2025 — The Sensitive Price Index (SPI), tracked by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), plunged 0.11% week-on-week and a notable 1.41% year-on-year for the week ending June 12, 2025, marking a rare dip in consumer prices after months of pressure, driven by sharp drops in fuel, food, and electricity charges. Of 51 tracked items, 15 prices rose, 9 fell, and 27 held steady. The weekly decline was fueled by a dramatic 11.32% chicken price drop, garlic down 5.69%, pulse mash 1.14%, pulse masoor 0.43%, pulse gram 0.21%, and slight cuts in cooking oil, vegetable ghee, wheat flour, and LPG.

However, tomato prices surged 19.73%, potatoes rose 9.11%, onions 3.23%, bananas 2.25%, powdered milk 0.73%, eggs 0.67%, and sugar 0.18%, with minor hikes in curd, basmati broken rice, and pulse moong. Year-on-year, inflation eased on staples—onions down 61.86%, electricity charges 41.63%, garlic 30.99%, tomatoes 22.87%, plus wheat flour, potatoes, chicken, and diesel. Yet, ladies’ sandals spiked 55.62%, eggs 31.41%, and powdered milk, sugar, bananas, beef, and vegetable ghee saw double-digit rises.

Income group trends varied: the lowest bracket saw a 0.15% weekly rise, while the highest dipped 0.18%; annually, the lowest group fell 1.59%, the highest 0.36%, with all quintiles ranging from -2.78% to 0.36%. Construction inputs saw Sona urea at Rs4,455 per 50 kg bag (down 0.11% weekly, 6.02% yearly) and cement at Rs1,410 per 50 kg bag (down 0.08% weekly, up 11.95% yearly). Web context shows Pakistan’s inflation volatility (e.g., past 47% SPI peak), while posts found on X reflect relief—some cheer price drops, others question sustainability. Critically, the narrative of “easing pressure” may mask underlying instability—web data hints at supply chain issues, and X sentiment suggests distrust in long-term relief, hinting at persistent risks.