Weekly inflation up 0.24%

KARACHI: Weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), posted a modest rise of 0.24 per cent for the week ending May 8, 2025, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The index, which tracks the prices of 51 essential items across 17 cities, reflects persistent cost pressures, even as the annual change showed a slight cooling, down 0.8 per cent year-on-year.

On a weekly basis, the increase was led primarily by sharp spikes in key food staples. Chicken prices surged 10.2 per cent, followed by eggs up 7.36 per cent, sugar 1.93 per cent, and beef 1.5 per cent. Other notable increases included pulse mash (+0.31 per cent), cooked beef (+0.2 per cent), mutton (+0.15 per cent), and gur (+0.11 per cent).

Conversely, some relief was noted in vegetables and key household fuels. Tomato prices dropped by 8.81 per cent, garlic by 5.05 per cent, potatoes by 3.33 per cent, and onions by 2.08 per cent. Energy items also saw declines, with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) down 1.66 per cent, petrol slipping 0.83 per cent, and high-speed diesel easing 0.78 per cent.

Out of the 51 items surveyed, 9 items registered price increases, 17 items decreased, while 25 items remained unchanged, PBS data showed.

On a year-on-year basis, significant price drops were recorded for onions (-62.53 per cent), tomatoes (-44.54 per cent), and garlic (-36.16 per cent). Other declines included electricity charges (-29.4 per cent), potatoes (-27.42 per cent), wheat flour (-24.17 per cent), and petrol (-12.36 per cent). However, price surges were seen in ladies’ sandals (+55.62 per cent), pulse moong (+28.47 per cent), chicken (+27.35 per cent), powdered milk (+22.27 per cent), and sugar (+19.36 per cent).

Inflationary impacts also varied across income groups. The SPI for the lowest expenditure group (up to Rs17,732 monthly) rose by 0.1 per cent week-on-week, while the highest expenditure group (above Rs44,175) recorded a 0.26 per cent rise. The combined SPI for all income groups rose 0.24 per cent WoW.

The SPI has fluctuated over recent weeks, reflecting a mix of seasonal trends and macroeconomic pressures. For instance, the combined SPI saw a 0.15 per cent rise in the previous week (ending April 30) and a sharp 1.92 per cent drop in the week before that.