Pakistan’s weekly inflation rose by 0.12 percent this week, ending two consecutive weeks of decline, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. On an annual basis, inflation now stands at 3.20 percent.
According to the PBS, prices of 21 essential items increased, 8 items fell, while 22 remained unchanged.
Among the items that became cheaper, eggs dropped 1.44 percent, onions 2.20 percent, potatoes 3.73 percent, tomatoes 0.05 percent, bananas 0.21 percent, chickpeas 1.51 percent, red lentils 0.38 percent, and black gram 0.65 percent.
Conversely, prices of flour rose 5.07 percent, chicken 2.86 percent, red chili powder 1.01 percent, garlic 2.44 percent, tea 0.73 percent, LPG 0.88 percent, sugar 0.58 percent, bread 0.51 percent, firewood 0.25 percent, and broken basmati rice 0.41 percent.
The report also highlighted inflation rates across income groups:
- Households earning up to Rs17,732 per month experienced a 0.12 percent weekly rise, bringing annual inflation to 2.45 percent.
- Households earning Rs17,733–22,888 saw a 0.13 percent weekly rise, with annual inflation at 3.65 percent.
- Households earning Rs22,889–29,517 had a 0.13 percent weekly increase, annual inflation 3.43 percent.
- Households earning Rs29,518–44,175 recorded a 0.13 percent weekly rise, annual inflation 3.08 percent.
- Households earning above Rs44,176 experienced a 0.11 percent weekly rise, annual inflation 2.58 percent.
Officials said that while some essential goods saw minor declines, rising prices of staples such as flour and chicken are keeping inflation in check for middle- and higher-income groups.
Source: Dunya News
