Pakistan’s weekly inflation rate declined by 0.35% during the latest reporting week, while the annual inflation rate stood at 11.32%, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Despite the weekly decline, prices of several essential food items continued to rise. During the week, 15 essential commodities became more expensive, 12 recorded price decreases, and prices of 24 items remained unchanged.
According to the PBS weekly report, tomato prices surged by 35%, while potatoes became 3.27% more expensive and gram lentils rose by 2.11%. Price increases were also recorded for firewood and several food items, including bread, onions, milk, yoghurt and ghee.
Essential Food Items Show Significant Annual Increases
The report highlighted substantial increases in the prices of several commodities over the past year. Wheat flour became 35% more expensive, while chicken prices rose by as much as 32%.
Red chilli prices increased by 15.55%, mutton by 15%, bread by 12.62% and beef by 12.10%. Onion prices rose by 9%, while tea became 8.41% more expensive on a year-on-year basis.
Energy Costs Continue to Rise
The report also pointed to sharp annual increases in energy and fuel prices. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) recorded a 107% increase, while electricity prices rose by 52.38%.
Diesel prices increased by 45.13%, and petrol became 43.61% more expensive over the same period.
Although the latest weekly figures show a modest decline in inflation, the annual price increases reported for food, electricity and fuel indicate that households continue to face considerable pressure on their budgets.