Islamabad, Mar 14 2025: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending March 13, 2025, recorded a 1.97 percent decline on a year-on-year basis, as per data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
This marks the lowest annual inflation rate in available records, according to an analysis by brokerage firm Arif Habib Limited (AHL). The decrease in Sensitive Price Index (SPI) based inflation is primarily attributed to significant price reductions in key essential commodities.
Additionally, electricity charges for the first quarter saw an 18.92 percent decline, while staple consumer goods such as branded tea (15.89 percent), pulse mash (14.98 percent), and pulse masoor (12.38 percent) also became more affordable.
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Moreover, petroleum products contributed to the downward trend, with diesel prices dropping by 9.91 percent and petrol by 8.55 percent. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices also fell by 5.35 percent, easing household energy costs.
Conversely, on a week-on-week basis, the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) registered a slight increase of 0.22 percent due to price hikes in select food and consumer items. Tomatoes saw a sharp surge of 36.43 percent, while chicken prices rose by 6.40 percent and bananas by 6.05 percent.
Additionally, sugar became 5.69 percent more expensive, with LPG prices edging up by 1.44 percent. During the observed period, out of the 51 essential items tracked, prices of 12 items (23.53 percent) increased, 15 items (29.41 percent) declined, while 24 items (47.06 percent) remained unchanged.
The latest Sensitive Price Index (SPI) figures suggest a continued trend of easing inflationary pressures in Pakistan, largely driven by lower food and energy prices.
However, the marginal week-on-week increase indicates that fluctuations in perishable goods and consumer essentials still impact short-term price stability.
