ISLAMABAD: Inflation measured through the sensitive price index (SPI) dropped 0.39 per cent for the combined income group during the week ended on April 28, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said on Friday.

The decline came mainly on the back of fall in prices of some perishable products, including vegetables (tomato, garlic and onion) and chicken.

SPI monitors prices of 53 essential items based on a survey of 17 cities.

The index fell 0.41pc week-on-week for the lowest income group (earning up to Rs8,000) and 0.36pc for the top income group (earning Rs35, 000 and above).

On a year-on-year basis, however, SPI for the combined group rose 3.13pc during the week under review.

The food items whose prices crawled up during the week included: pulse mash washed (1.55pc); pulse gram washed (0.96pc); pulse masoor washed (0.71pc); gur (0.69pc); red chilli powder (0.45pc), milk fresh (0.37pc); pulse moong washed (0.35pc); mustard oil (0.35pc); powdered milk (0.15pc); mutton (0.12pc); and vegetable ghee (0.06pc).

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016