Weekly inflation reaches 12.31pc as food and LPG prices rise

Short-term inflation in Pakistan rose to 12.31 per cent year-on-year in the week ending November 5, with higher liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and perishable-food prices among the main drivers, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data released on Friday.

The Sensitive Price Index, which tracks weekly changes in essential commodity and service prices, increased by 0.29pc from the previous week. The measure is based on prices collected for 51 items across 50 markets in 17 cities, offering a timely snapshot of pressures faced by households.

Of the 51 monitored items, prices of 21 increased during the week, 10 declined and 20 remained unchanged. Tomatoes recorded the sharpest week-on-week increase at 54.18pc, followed by LPG at 3.72pc, potatoes at 2.07pc and eggs at 1.17pc.

Some items became cheaper over the week. Petrol prices fell 4.20pc and diesel 2.97pc, while gram pulse, bananas, onions, powdered milk, chicken, sugar, wheat flour and moong pulse also registered declines.

The annual comparison shows how sharply several household costs have risen. LPG was up 114.88pc from a year earlier, while tomatoes rose 78.89pc, diesel 39.27pc, petrol 36.34pc and wheat flour 33.95pc. Potatoes, eggs and sugar were among the items showing annual declines.

The weekly data points to continued pressure on household budgets even where fuel prices have eased. For consumers, the most immediate impact is likely to come through cooking fuel and fresh-food bills; for policymakers, the figures underline how energy costs and supply swings can rapidly feed into the prices of everyday necessities.