The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) has jumped sharply by 13.98% year-on-year, up from 12.16% recorded the previous week. However, for the second consecutive week, the pace of increase in weekly inflation has slowed, declining by 0.33%, compared with a 0.69% slowdown in the previous week, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

During the week, prices of 19 essential commodities increased, nine items became cheaper, while prices of 23 items remained stable. Over the past week, potatoes became costlier by 3.13%, bread by 0.91%, and cooking oil by 0.69%. Prices of eggs, mutton, chicken and ghee also increased.

According to the report, tomatoes became cheaper by 27.65% and onions by 9.35% during the week. Prices of diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), flour and sugar also declined.

The annual inflation rate for different income groups showed a slowdown. For households earning up to Rs17,732 per month, inflation slowed by 0.41 percentage points to 11.38%. For those earning between Rs17,733 and Rs22,888 per month, inflation slowed by 0.36 percentage points to 14.16%.

For those earning between Rs22,889 and Rs29,517 per month, inflation slowed by 0.31 percentage points to 12.47%.

For households earning between Rs29,518 and Rs44,175 per month, inflation slowed by 0.30 percentage points to 12.28%.

For those income groups earning above Rs44,176 per month, inflation slowed by 0.34 percentage points to 13.45%.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 19 items (37.25%) increased, nine items (17.65%) decreased, while 23 items (45.10%) remained stable. Major decreases were observed in the prices of tomatoes (27.65%), followed by onions (9.35%), diesel (8.35%), LPG (7.08%), garlic (4.27%), bananas (0.47%), wheat flour (0.37%), sugar (0.36%) and mustard oil (0.22%).

On the other hand, prices of potatoes increased by 3.13%, bread by 0.91%, washing soap by 0.85%, cooking oil (5 litre) by 0.69%, long cloth by 0.65%, eggs by 0.61%, mutton by 0.45%, chicken by 0.44%, vegetable ghee (1 kg) by 0.30% and pulse masoor by 0.27%.

On a year-on-year basis, the SPI for the week under review increased by 13.98% compared with the corresponding week last year. During the period, major increase were recorded in the prices of electricity charges for the first quarter (54.02%), LPG (50.68%), petrol (44.10%), diesel (36.76%), wheat flour (36.06%), onions (31.89%) and tomatoes (23.46%). Prices of chilli powder, mutton, beef, powdered milk and garlic also increased.

Meanwhile, prices of potatoes declined by 47.38%, pulse gram by 19.92%, salt powder by 13.22%, sugar by 11.74%, pulse masoor by 11.47%, pulse moong by 1.63% and packet tea by 1.14% over the same period last year, the PBS reported.