Pakistan’s Inflation Rate Drops Significantly in First Half of FY2025, Reports Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

Islamabad:The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has released inflation data for the first six months of the current fiscal year (June to December 2024), showing a significant decline compared to the same period last year.

According to the report, the inflation rate for the first half of the current fiscal year stands at **7.22%**, a sharp contrast to **28.79%** during the same period last year. The report highlights a notable decrease in inflation in December 2024, which was recorded at **4.1%** on an annual basis, down from **29.7%** in December 2023.

The report further indicates that inflation in urban areas has decreased to **4.4%** in December 2024, compared to **5.2%** in November 2024 and **30.9%** in December 2023. Meanwhile, inflation in rural areas dropped to **3.6%** in December 2024, from **4.3%** in November 2024 and **27.9%** in December 2023.

### Price Changes in December 2024:

The PBS report also detailed specific price changes for various goods in December 2024:

– **Potatoes** became **12.42%** more expensive
– **Fresh fruits** increased by **8.84%**
– **Ghee** saw a rise of **5.42%**
– **Cooking oil** went up by **4.39%**
– **Honey** became **2.79%** costlier
– **Sugar** rose by **2%**
– **Fish** increased by **1.82%**
– **Eggs** were up by **1.01%**
– **Meat** increased by **0.81%**
– **Dry fruits** saw a rise of **0.32%**
– **Wheat** prices climbed by **0.27%**

### Items that Became Cheaper:

The report also highlights a decrease in prices for several items during the last month:

– **Chicken** became **13.06%** cheaper
– **Onions** dropped by **4.91%**
– **Tomatoes** fell by **3.28%**
– **Chana dal** (chickpea lentils) decreased by **6.94%**
– **Mash dal** (black gram) saw a drop of **2.59%**

This data points to a significant reduction in inflation in the country, especially in urban and rural areas, offering some relief to the public after the high inflationary pressures of the past year. However, certain essential items, such as potatoes and fresh fruits, continued to see price hikes during the month of December.