ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended March 6, 2025 decreased by 0.09 percent owing to a reduction in the prices of onions (5.59 per cent), tea Lipton (4.47per cent), garlic (3.89per cent), tomatoes (3.60per cent), pulse gram (3.49per cent), maash(2.82per cent), potatoes (2.60 per cent), diesel (2 per cent), masoor(1.50 per cent) and petrol (0.24 per cent).
The SPI data released here on Friday by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on year-on-year (YoY) depicted a reduction of 0.87per cent owing to a decrease in prices of onions by 64.92per cent, tomatoes 57.05 per cent, wheat flour 36.81 per cent, chilies powder 20 per cent, electricity charges for Q1 18.92 per cent, Lipton 14.92 per cent, pulse mash 14.68 per cent, masoor12.33 per cent, diesel 9.91 per cent, rice basmati broken 9.55 per cent, petrol 8.55per cent and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 2.54per cent.
While on YoY, a major increase was observed in the prices of ladies sandal by 75.09 per cent, bananas 30.96 per cent, moong 26.90 per cent, powdered milk 25.86 per cent, beef 22.51 per cent, pulse gram 21.73 per cent, vegetable ghee 1 kg 16.12 per cent, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg 14.32 per cent, shirting 14.13 per cent, eggs 13.52 per cent, firewood 11.07 per cent and Georgette 10.89 per cent.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 13 (25.49 per cent) items increased, 20 (39.22 per cent) items decreased and 18 (35.29 per cent) items remained stable.
The SPI for the lowest consumption group with monthly income up to Rs17,732 witnessed a reduction of 2.47 per cent and was recorded at 309.33 points from previous week’s 309.94 points.
The SPI for consumption groups of Rs17,732 to 22,888 with a reduction of 2.6 per cent was recorded at 307.20 against previous week’s calculation of 307.79, the SPI for the income group Rs22,889-29,517 with a reduction of 1.6 per cent was recorded at 330.11 points against previous week’s recording of 329.63 points, the SPI for the income group Rs29,518-44,175 with a reduction of 0.81per cent was recorded at 319.76 points against previous week’s reading of 320.14 and SPI for the monthly income group above Rs44,175 recorded an increase of.24per cent from 321.59 to 321.48.
On the other hand, a major increase was recorded in the prices of bananas 9.79 per cent, sugar 3.15per cent, LPG 2.64per cent, eggs 2.52per cent, lawn 0.55 per cent, mutton 0.33 per cent, wheat flour 0.22per cent, long cloth and gur 0.17per cent each, cigarettes and beef 0.06per cent each and rice IRRI-6/9 0.01per cent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025