Petrol price hike pushes weekly inflation up 0.49pc in Pakistan

The annualised weekly inflation rate reached 10.64pc, reflecting continued pressure on household budgets and essential commodities.

Fuel prices record the biggest increases

The report showed that prices of 19 essential commodities increased during the week, while nine items became cheaper. Prices of 23 items remained unchanged.

Diesel recorded the highest week-on-week increase, with its price rising by 7.29pc.

Petrol prices increased by 6.40pc, while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) became 3.26pc more expensive.

The increase in fuel prices is likely to affect transportation costs and may also raise the prices of goods and services that depend on fuel for production and delivery.

Other commodities that became more expensive included garlic, which rose by 1.94pc, and eggs, whose prices increased by 1.72pc.

The prices of gram pulse, plain bread and masoor dal also recorded increases during the week.

Prices of 19 items increase

According to the PBS report, the prices of 19 out of 51 monitored items increased during the week. These accounted for 37.25pc of the total items.

Nine items, or 17.65pc, recorded price declines, while 23 items, representing 45.10pc, remained unchanged.

The commodities that became more expensive on a week-on-week basis were:

• Diesel: 7.29pc
• Petrol: 6.40pc
• LPG: 3.26pc
• Garlic: 1.94pc
• Eggs: 1.72pc
• Gram pulse: 0.80pc
• Plain bread: 0.74pc
• Masoor dal: 0.49pc
• Mustard oil: 0.44pc
• Moong pulse: 0.39pc
• Mutton: 0.26pc
• Firewood: 0.07pc

The increases in food and energy prices contributed to the overall rise in weekly inflation.

Prices of eight items decline

The report also recorded price decreases in eight essential commodities.

Bananas registered the largest decline, becoming 6.17pc cheaper during the week.

Tomato prices fell by 5.66pc, while onions declined by 4.57pc. Chicken prices decreased by 2.33pc.

Other items that became cheaper included powdered milk, wheat flour, IRRI-6/9 rice and sugar.

The week-on-week price changes were:

• Bananas: down 6.17pc
• Tomatoes: down 5.66pc
• Onions: down 4.57pc
• Chicken: down 2.33pc
• Powdered milk: down 0.40pc
• Wheat flour: down 0.28pc
• IRRI-6/9 rice: down 0.16pc
• Sugar: down 0.14pc

Despite these declines, the increase in fuel prices and several essential food items pushed the overall Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) upward.

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Higher-income groups face a sharper increase

The PBS report showed that inflation also varied across income groups.

The SPI for households with weekly income between Rs29,518 and Rs44,175 increased by 0.30pc.

For households earning more than Rs44,175 per week, the SPI rose by 0.77pc.

The figures indicate that the weekly inflation impact was higher for the upper-income group covered by the report. However, the effect on individual households may differ depending on their spending patterns and dependence on fuel and food items.

Year-on-year inflation remains high

On a year-on-year basis, several commodities recorded significant price increases.

Onions witnessed the largest annual increase, with prices rising by 117.77pc.

LPG prices increased by 60.42pc, while diesel became 54.21pc more expensive compared with the same period last year.

Petrol prices rose by 48.00pc on a year-on-year basis.

Electricity charges for the first quarter increased by 33.54pc, while wheat flour prices rose by 33.27pc.

These increases show that households are facing pressure not only from recent weekly price changes but also from higher prices compared with the previous year.

Several commodities become cheaper annually

The PBS data also showed annual declines in the prices of several essential items.

Potatoes recorded the biggest year-on-year decrease, with prices falling by 35.31pc.

Sugar prices declined by 20.95pc, while eggs became 19.31pc cheaper.

Chicken prices fell by 15.26pc, followed by powdered salt, gram pulse, masoor dal and moong pulse.

The annual price decreases were recorded as follows:

• Potatoes: down 35.31pc
• Sugar: down 20.95pc
• Eggs: down 19.31pc
• Chicken: down 15.26pc
• Salt powder: down 13.96pc
• Gram pulse: down 12.42pc
• Masoor dal: down 11.26pc
• Moong pulse: down 8.49pc