ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation surged by 11.02 per cent for the week ending on June 28, from a year ago, driven largely by increase in essential food items.

The SPI-based inflation was experiencing an upward trend since last year after an increase in oil and energy prices in the past few months, suggested data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

SPI monitors prices of 53 items based on the survey of 17 cities and 53 markets. Significant variations have been witnessed in prices of perishable products, such as tomato.

The increase in POL and energy prices also jacked up overall inflation in the past couple of months.

As a result, prices of 25 items witnessed all of a sudden increase during the period under review.

The impact of price increase on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review.

The maximum price increase was observed in the upper income groups, compared to the last year.

The SPI increased by 11.45 per cent for Rs35,000 and above income group. The highest increase in the top income group was mainly due to increase in prices of petrol, CNG, mutton, chicken and eggs during the week under review.

The SPI increase for households in the income bracket of Rs18,001-35,000 was 11.09 per cent.

The lowest increase in SPI was recorded in the income group of up to Rs8,000, which stood at 8.89 per cent.

Prices of tomatoes rose to Rs25.85 per kg from Rs24.04, egg to Rs74.16 per dozen from Rs70.93, chicken to Rs164.56 per kg from Rs159.34 and garlic to Rs99.30 per kg from Rs96.48 during the week under review over the same week last year.

Potato prices went up by 11.28pc to Rs27.46 per kg from Rs26.69, masoor washed by 5.25 per cent to Rs101.86 per kg from Rs100.28, milk fresh by 12.65pc to Rs63.22 per litre against Rs62.60 and milk powdered by 23.02pc to Rs282.94 per kg against Rs280.59.

Gur price increased by 13.36pc to Rs73.07 per kg from Rs72.62, curd by 14.02pc to Rs74.18 per kg against Rs73.79, rice basmati broken by 17.87pc to Rs65.69 per kg from Rs65.40 and rice Irri-6 by 12.38pc to Rs48.38 per kg, from Rs48.18.

The price of cooking oil tin was up by 10.28pc to Rs545.88 per kg from Rs543.82, washing soap by 15.77pc to Rs19.82 per kg from Rs19.76, vegetable ghee tin by 8.50pc to Rs537.06 per kg from Rs535.82, mustard oil by 9.28pc to Rs185.32 per kg from Rs185.03, firewood by 20.90pc to Rs475.52 per 40 kg from Rs474.93 and wheat flour by 8.96pc to Rs309.28 per 10 kg from Rs308.99.

Cooked dal plate price went up to Rs39.22 per plate from Rs39.19; mutton to Rs505.12 per kg from Rs504.82, and red chillies powder to Rs301.93 per kg against Rs301.79.