ISLAMABAD (National Times) – The Sensitive price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on October 27 for the combined consumption group witnessed an increase of 4.13 percent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 213.74 points against 205.27 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 30.68 percent.

The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16 =100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs 17,732 witnessed 4.64 percent increase and went up to 220.56 points from last week s 210.78 points.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs 17,732-22,888; Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 witnessed an increase of 6.76 percent, 4.55 percent, 3.41 percent and 0.88 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 21 (41.18%) items increased, 16 (31.37%) items decreased and 14 (27.45%) items remained stable.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices on week-on-week (WoW) basis included tomatoes (3.77%), onions (2.97%), pulse masoor (2.50%), chicken (1.86%), pulse gram (1.35%), gur (1.09%), pulse mash (0.84%), LPG (0.72%) and potatoes (0.47%).

The commodities which recorded increase in their average prices included salt powder (2.57%), tea packet (1.89%), rice Irri-6/9 (1.24) and garlic (1.04%), non-food items, electricity Quarter 1 (89.34%), energy saver (1.57%) and firewood (1.31%).

On year-on-year (YoY) basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease in prices included chillies powder (41.85%), sugar (16.45%) and gur (5.01%).

The commodities that witnessed increase in prices on YoY basis included onions (177.37%), tomatoes (84.17%), diesel (74.51%), pulse gram (64.73%), petrol (62.75%), cooking oil 5 litre (55.13%), washing soap (54.97%), pulse moong (54.19%), pulse masoor (52.33%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (52.31%), gents sponge chappal (52.21%), mustard oil (50.97%), pulse mash (50.08%) and vegetable ghee 1 kg (49.44%).