Prices of 23 Essential Commodities Rise as Pakistan’s Annual Inflation Remains Above 13%

Islamabad: Prices of 23 essential commodities increased across Pakistan during the first week of the new fiscal year, although the pace of weekly inflation eased, according to the latest report released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The bureau’s weekly inflation report showed that the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) declined by 0.98 percent compared with the previous week. However, on a year-on-year basis, inflation remained elevated at 13.52 percent.

During the week under review, prices of 23 essential items increased, 11 items became cheaper, while 17 items remained unchanged.

Among the commodities that recorded price increases were potatoes (10.06%), tomatoes (125.40%), onions (10.72%), matches (0.96%), bread (0.47%), eggs (8.32%), washing soap (0.63%), cigarettes (0.23%), IRRI-6 rice (0.45%), and loose milk (0.49%).

Meanwhile, prices of several items declined, including chicken (1.97%), mustard oil (0.21%), garlic (0.63%), moong lentils (1.29%), mash lentils (0.84%), gram lentils (0.23%), petrol (19.77%), diesel (17.73%), and sugar (0.21%).

The report also showed that inflation continued to affect different income groups unevenly. Households with monthly incomes of up to Rs17,732 recorded an annual inflation rate of 14.13 percent, while those earning between Rs17,733 and Rs22,888 faced the highest inflation rate of 16.11 percent.

For households with monthly incomes between Rs22,889 and Rs29,517, annual inflation stood at 13.66 percent. Those earning between Rs29,518 and Rs44,175 experienced an inflation rate of 12.77 percent, while households with monthly incomes above Rs44,176 recorded an annual inflation rate of 11.68 percent.

The latest figures indicate that although weekly price pressures have eased, inflation continues to remain high on an annual basis, particularly for lower-income households.