Pakistan’s short-term inflation declined by 0.15% compared to the previous week and dropped 1.26% year-on-year, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) report released on Friday.
During the week, out of 51 tracked items, prices of 10 (19.61%) increased, 10 (19.61%) decreased, while 31 (60.78%) remained stable.
Among the items that saw price hikes, tomatoes led with a 9.62% increase, followed by LPG (1.17%), lawn printed fabric (0.62%), pulse mash (0.56%), gur (0.51%), beef (0.30%), long cloth (0.29%), pulse masoor (0.20%), mustard oil (0.13%), and vegetable ghee (0.10%).
Conversely, onions recorded the largest weekly decline at 4.68%, followed by bananas (4.27%), eggs (3.87%), garlic (2.23%), potatoes (1.47%), chicken (1.29%), sugar (0.94%), and pulse gram (0.67%).
The lowest income group experienced a weekly decline of 0.21% in inflation, while the highest income group saw a 0.13% decrease. Yearly trends showed inflation rates across all income levels ranging between 1.98% and 0.59%. The lowest-income group benefited from a 1.77% reduction in inflation, whereas the highest-income bracket saw a 0.59% decrease.
The price of Sona urea averaged Rs4,514 per 50 kg bag, rising 0.04% from last week but down 6.49% year-on-year. Meanwhile, cement prices stood at Rs1,382 per 50 kg bag, marking a 0.16% weekly increase and a 13.26% rise compared to last year.
PBS compiles the Short-Term Price Index (SPI) weekly, tracking 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities to monitor inflation trends.