The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks short-term inflation trends in Pakistan, recorded a 0.35 percent dip for the week ending March 20, driven by drop in vegetable prices.
According to a data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), tomatoes led the decline with a price drop of 7.08 percent followed by onions -6.07 percent, garlic -5.59 percent, eggs -4.64 percent and potatoes -2.5 percent.
Other essential commodities, including sugar (-0.87 percent) and branded tea (-1.3 percent), also recorded slight decreases. Firewood saw a marginal decline of 0.6 percent.
However, some consumer items witnessed price increases. The cost of long cloth rose by 1.23%, printed lawn fabric by 2.9 percent and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 1.53 percent. Prices of bananas (+1.45 percent), bread (+0.55 percent), beef +0.25 percent and curd +0.24 percent also inched upwards.
On an annual basis, SPI inflation registered a rare decline of 1.2%, indicating a drop in the prices of key staples. Onions witnessed a sharp decrease of 67.67% compared to the same period last year, while wheat flour (-35.58%), tomatoes (-29.45%), and electricity tariffs for the lowest consumption bracket (-18.92%) also contributed to the downward trend. Fuel prices moderated, with diesel (-9.37%) and petrol (-8.55%) recording year-on-year (YoY) declines.
Despite the overall downward movement, several essential goods continued to register significant price hikes. Ladies’ sandals surged by 75.09%, powdered milk by 25.75%, and beef by 21.01%. Chicken (+18.23%), sugar (+18.65%), and vegetable ghee (+16.13%) also recorded notable annual increases, underscoring persistent inflationary pressures in key food categories.