ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), posted a negative growth of 1.99 per cent year-on-year in the week ending April 3, owing to a decline in the price of perishable products.

The SPI-based inflation declined for the fifth week, mainly due to falling potato, onion, and chicken prices. It, however, increased by 0.20pc from the preceding week, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

The items whose prices saw a decline week-on-week included garlic (6.11pc), bananas (5.34pc), eggs (4.79pc), LPG (0.70pc), petrol (0.33pc), wheat flour (0.20pc), pulse mash (0.14pc), pulse moong (0.13pc), pulse masoor (0.05pc) and powdered milk (0.01pc).

The items whose prices increased the most over the previous week included chicken (7.17pc), potatoes (6.50pc), onions (5.10pc), lawn printed (0.71pc), tomatoes (0.66pc), gur (0.63pc), mustard oil (0.61pc), beef (0.52pc), long cloth (0.32pc), milk fresh (0.25pc), firewood & mutton (0.12pc) each and cigarettes (0.08pc).

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2025