ISLAMABAD: Inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) increased 0.49 per cent during the week ended on May 12 owing to a rise in the prices of essential food items, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data showed on Friday.

This increase in weekly prices was noted for the past three consecutive weeks.

Data showed that the prices of 28 essential food items increased during the week under review compared to the previous week. The price of wheat flour increased by 41.78pc, chicken 12.13pc, potatoes 7.04pc, eggs 5.08pc, pulse masoor 4.79pc, onions 4.74pc, pulse gram 2.29pc, pulse mash 2.05pc, mustard oil 1.97pc, mutton 1.64pc, and tea prepared 1.16pc, respectively.

In the non-food items the price of cigarettes increased by 2.62pc and match box 1.31pc, respectively.

On the other hand, the prices of four items declined during the week, including tomatoes 12.01pc, bananas 5.87pc, firewood 0.43pc, sugar 0.15pc and LPG 0.11pc.

The SPI increased by 0.94pc for the lowest income group (below Rs17,732 per month) and by 0.41pc for the group with a monthly income of above Rs44,175.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2022