Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported that the weekly inflation decided by Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for combined consumption group increased by 0.30% during week ending on October 12.

The SPI for this group was recorded at 282.86 points, compared to 282.00 points in the previous week.

In comparison to the same week last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group witnessed a significant increase of 38.28%.

The weekly SPI is based on the 2015-16 index with 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

Specifically, the SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, increased by 0.25% to reach 287.01 points from last week's 286.29 points.

The SPI for consumption groups between Rs17,732-22,888 and Rs22,889-29,517 increased by 0.51% and 0.16%, respectively. However, there was a nominal decrease of 0.02% for the consumption group ranging from Rs29,518-44,175 and a 0.25% increase for the consumption group above Rs44,175.

Out of 51 items, 17 saw price increases, 17 experienced price decreases, and 17 remained stable during the week.

Some items that saw price decreases included sugar (4.47%), pulse gram (2.75%), bananas (2.47%), pulse moong (2.44%), gur (1.93%), chicken (1.69%), rice irri-6/9 (1.46%), and pulse masoor (1.26%).

On the other hand, items that saw price increases included tomatoes (6.28%), eggs (3.48%), salt powdered (2.75%), cooked beef (1.06%), garlic (1.04%), tea prepared (0.73%), beef (0.39%), potatoes (0.35%), electricity charges for Q1 (8.59%), energy server (0.55%), shirting (0.47%), and LPG (0.31%).

When comparing prices on a year-on-year basis, some commodities that witnessed a decrease in price included tomatoes (43.53%), onions (16.67%), pulse gram (4.01%), and mustard oil (1.19%).

On the other hand, commodities that saw an increase in their average prices on a year-on-year basis included electricity charges for Q1 (136.89%), gas charges for Q1 (108.38%), cigarettes (95.36%), rice basmati broken (86.21%), chili powder (84.84%), wheat flour (79.28%), rice irri-6/9 (75.98%), sugar (71.87%), gur (65.09%), salt powdered (60.78%), tea packet (58.75%), and gents sponge chappal (58.05%).