ISLAMABAD: Inflation rose sharply in the week that ended on August 18, climbing to a record 42.3 per cent year-on-year, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.
Inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), rose by 3.35pc week-on-week, mainly because of higher food prices. The highest week-on-week increase in inflation was recorded at 3.68pc for the week that ended on July 28.
The SPI monitors prices of 51 essential items based on a survey of 50 markets in 17 cities of the country.
During the week under review, the prices of 25 out of 51 items increased, 11 decreased and 15 remained stable.
Highest week-on-week increase
Tomatoes: 20.28pc
Chicken: 7.57pc
Onions: 2.30pc
Powdered milk 2.03pc
Electricity (for the lowest income group): 6.83pc
Highest week-on-week decrease
LPG: 3.46pc
Vegetable ghee: 1.16pc
Garlic: 0.94pc
Mustard oil: 0.71pc
Pulse masoor: 0.42pc
Highest year-on-year increase
Pulse masoor: 111.02pc
Diesel: 108.77pc
Petrol: 94.53pc
Onions: 94.43pc
Cooking oil 72.96pc
The SPI increased week-on-week by 1.80pc for the lowest income group (i.e., people earning below Rs17,732 per month) and by 3.94pc for the group with a monthly income of above Rs44,175.
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