ISLAMABAD: Inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) dropped 0.48 per cent during the week ended on Dec 2, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday.

The decline was mainly driven by a sharp drop in the prices of essential food items.

SPI witnessed a decline for the second consecutive week. Before that, weekly inflation went upwards for six weeks in a row, including a jump of 1.81pc – the highest week-on-week increase in the previous three months.

During the outgoing week, the SPI fell by 0.47pc for the lowest income group (those earning below Rs17,732 per month), and by 0.47pc for the group earning above Rs44,175.

Among the essential food items, the price of tomatoes dropped 16.57pc, onions 7.74pc, chicken 7.68pc, LPG 2.43pc, sugar 1.51pc, eggs 1.43pc, powdered chilies 0.88pc, potatoes 0.67pc, wheat flour 0.58pc, gur 0.45pc, and garlic 0.29pc.

In contrast, the price of bananas went up by 3.82pc, masoor pulse 2.60pc, mash pulse 2.26pc, moong pulse 2.10pc, cooking oil 1.95pc, washing soap 1.80pc, and vegetable ghee 1.44pc.

Of the 51 items, the prices of 21 items increased, those of 11 items decreased, whereas the prices of 19 items remained constant.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2021