The Weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the Combined Group saw a 1.3 per cent week-over-week increase during the week ending June 13, 2024, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The SPI also showed a significant year-over-year rise of 23.03 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The Combined Index reached 313.93, up from 309.91 the previous week, and significantly higher than the 255.17 recorded a year ago.
During the week, out of 51 monitored items, prices of 19 items (37.26 per cent) increased, 8 items (15.68 per cent) decreased, and 24 items (47.06 per cent) remained stable.
Major price increases were observed in tomatoes (27.14 per cent), chicken (11.75 per cent), electricity for Q1 (8.73 per cent), pulse gram (7.19 per cent), and LPG (6.14 per cent). On the other hand, notable price decreases were recorded in onions (5.00 per cent), chilies powder (1.95 per cent), rice basmati broken (1.65 per cent), garlic (1.32 per cent), and rice IRRI (1.08 per cent).
The SPI percentage change by income groups indicated increases across all quantiles, ranging from 1.01 per cent to 1.31 per cent on a weekly basis. The lowest income group experienced a rise of 1.01 per cent, while the highest income group saw an increase of 1.29 per cent.
Yearly analysis of SPI changes across different income segments showed increases ranging between 16.29 per cent and 26.07 per cent. These statistics highlight the varying impact of price changes on different income groups, reflecting broader economic trends and inflationary pressures within the country.