Islamabad: Inflation in Pakistan dropped to a record low of -2.72% on an annual basis, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday. On a weekly basis, inflation declined by 0.69%, driven largely by a decrease in prices of several essential food items.
The PBS report noted that prices of 18 key commodities fell over the past week, including chicken, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, wheat flour, ghee, and LPG.
Among the notable decreases:
- Live broiler chicken prices dropped by Rs4 per kg, averaging Rs438.
- A 20 kg bag of wheat flour saw a Rs40 reduction, bringing it down to Rs1,626.
- Sugar prices fell by Rs0.54, averaging Rs168 per kg.
- Tomatoes declined sharply by over Rs16 per kg.
- Onion prices fell by Rs6 per kg.
- Garlic decreased by Rs0.42 per kg.
Despite the overall decline in inflation, prices of 16 essential items increased during the same period. These included:
- Beef, up by Rs7 per kg.
- Mutton, up by Rs10 per kg.
- Slight price hikes were also recorded in daal channa, moong dal, rice, and fresh milk.
Meanwhile, prices of 17 items remained unchanged.
The overall decrease in inflation offers some relief to consumers, though the simultaneous rise in the cost of several staple foods highlights ongoing volatility in the market.
