ISLAMABAD: Weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), edged up by 0.38 per cent for the week ending July 17, driven by a rise in the prices of perishable food items and petroleum products.

The increase follows a partial reversal of the declining trend witnessed in recent months, primarily due to rising energy and food prices. The prices of vegetables, such as onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, saw a modest increase, largely attributed to higher transportation costs. Chicken and petroleum products also contributed significantly to the weekly uptick.

However, on a year-on-year basis, short-term inflation declined by 1.61pc, according to data released on Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Sugar prices surged in retail markets, ranging between Rs185 and Rs200 per kg, while meat continued its steady upward trend in recent weeks. Despite this, overall short-term inflation has slowed due to a high base effect from last year, with prices for most items remaining stable — excluding wheat flour and a few perishables.

During the week under review, items registering the highest increase in prices included chicken (8.31pc), eggs (5.87pc), diesel (4.15pc), petrol (2pc), onions (1.76pc), garlic (1.70pc), potatoes (1.46pc), firewood (0.49pc), cooked daal (0.35pc), mutton and powdered milk (0.31pc each), and cigarettes (0.25pc).

Conversely, prices fell for tomatoes (9.34pc), bananas (1.57pc), LPG (0.95pc), pulse gram (0.31pc), pulse moong (0.30pc), wheat flour (0.25pc), cooking oil (5-litre) and sugar (0.21% each), and rice Irri-6/9 (0.05pc).

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2025