ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), rose 4.52 per cent year-on-year in the week ending January 29, largely driven by higher retail prices of tomatoes, pulses and other essential food items, official data showed on Friday.
Read More: Weekly inflation falls by 0.03%
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, SPI inflation has remained on an upward trajectory for the past 26 consecutive weeks, reflecting persistent pressure from food prices, particularly perishable items. Despite the annual increase, the index recorded a marginal week-on-week decline of 0.03pc.
The weekly increase was mainly attributed to a rise in prices of tomatoes, which surged by 7.53pc, followed by chicken at 3.25pc and bananas at 3.07pc. Other items that registered notable increases included liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), pulse mash, pulse gram, chilies powder, pulse moong, firewood and vegetable ghee. Minor increases were also observed in shirting fabric and cigarettes.
In contrast, several essential items saw a decline in prices over the previous week. Potatoes recorded the sharpest drop of 7.81pc, followed by onions at 6.66pc. Prices of wheat flour, masoor pulse, eggs, gur and broken basmati rice also eased slightly, providing limited relief to consumers.
On a year-on-year basis, eggs emerged as the highest contributor to inflation, with prices soaring 42.85pc, followed by tomatoes at 41.14pc and wheat flour at 38.29pc. Significant increases were also recorded in gas charges, chilies powder, beef, firewood, LPG and powdered milk.
Meanwhile, a number of items witnessed substantial annual price declines. Potato prices fell sharply by 47.35pc, while garlic, onions and several pulses also registered double-digit reductions. Prices of diesel and petrol declined marginally over the year.
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Economists note that continued volatility in food prices remains a key challenge for inflation management, particularly for low-income households.