Weekly SPI Inflation Rises 0.49%, Tomatoes Surge 33%

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation rate, gauged by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), surged 0.49% for the combined consumption group during the week ending October 16, per Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data released on Friday.

The SPI for the reviewed week stood at 334.39 points, up from 332.75 points the prior week. Year-on-year, it climbed 4.57% compared to the corresponding period last year.

Based on the 2015-16 base year (100), the SPI monitors 51 essential items across 17 urban centres. For the lowest consumption group (up to Rs17,732), the SPI jumped 1.07% to 329.37 points from 325.88 points. Higher consumption groups recorded milder rises, with the highest group (above Rs44,175) increasing 0.29%.

Of the 51 items, 24 experienced price hikes, 8 saw declines, and 19 stayed stable. Key drops included chicken (-6.38%), bananas (-4.70%), and pulse gram (-2.20%), alongside petrol (-2.09%) and diesel (-0.55%).

Conversely, sharp increases hit tomatoes (+33.20%), onions (+8.70%), eggs (+2.18%), and wheat flour (+1.42%), with minor upticks in garlic, potatoes, and vegetable ghee.

Year-over-year, notable decreases emerged in onions (-33.55%), chicken (-29.81%), and pulse gram (-28.86%). However, tomatoes soared +121.38%, alongside ladies’ sandals (+55.62%) and sugar (+36.94%), with rises in wheat flour, gur, and beef.