ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: The weekly inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) increased by 12.04 per cent during the week ending on February 8 over the corresponding period last year, according to the weekly price data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on Saturday.

The SPI has been witnessing double-digit growth for the last couple of months but it slowed down from reaching the highest ever 14 per cent in January owing to steady increase in the prices of edible oil and wheat, etc.

The increase in prices has made an impact on consumers of various categories, but it came very hard on the low-income bracket. The SPI witnessed an increase of 14.09 per cent and 13.88 per cent, respectively, for households in the two lower income brackets of up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001-5,000.

For households in income brackets of Rs5,001-12,000, the increase in the SPI was in the range of 12.92 per cent, while for households in the income group basket of over Rs12,000, the inflation registered a growth 10.28 per cent over the same week last year. As compared to the previous week, the SPI, however, registered an increase of 0.10 per cent for almost all income groups.

Prices of 19 items went up during the period under review as compared to the previous week.

The prices of tomatoes increased by 18.58 per cent to Rs38.67 per kg against Rs32.61; an increase of 4.78 per cent in masoor pulse (washed), which stood at Rs71.39 per kg during the week under review as against Rs68.13.

The price of irri-6 rice increased by 1.74pc to Rs26.24 per kg from Rs25.79; rice basmati (broken) 1.64 per cent to Rs35.88 as against Rs35.30; 1.16 per cent in eggs to Rs62.13 per dozen as against Rs61.42; potatoes 1.08 per cent to Rs11.20 per kg from Rs11.08; bananas 0.85 per cent to Rs32.16 as against Rs31.89; gram pulse (washed) 0.84 per cent to Rs41.94 per kg as against Rs41.59; bath soap 0.71 per cent to Rs17.12 per cake against Rs17.

The sugar increased by 0.70 per cent to Rs25.73 per kg as against Rs25.55; bread plain 0.57 per cent to Rs19.26 each as against Rs19.15; onions 0.40 per cent to Rs12.46 per kg as against Rs12.41; cooked beef plate by 0.36 per cent to Rs33.38 per kg as against Rs33.26; vegetable ghee (loose) 0.25 per cent to Rs114.49 per kg as against Rs114.20; milk fresh 0.24 per cent to Rs29.81 per kg as against Rs29.74; mutton 0.17 per cent to Rs234.22 per kg as against Rs233.83; curd 0.14 per cent to Rs34.80 per kg as against Rs34.75; red chillies 0.11 per cent to Rs137.67 per kg as against Rs137.52.