CPI inflation increases to 27.6 per cent in January

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to 27.6 per cent on year-on-year (YoY) basis in January 2023 as compared to the corresponding month of last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Wednesday.

On month-on-month basis, it increased to 2.9% in January 2023 as compared to an increase of 0.5% in the previous month (December 2022).

On a year-on-year basis, the top few food commodities that witnessed an increase in prices in December as compared to the corresponding month of last year included onions (468.54%), chicken (83.27%), wheat (78.39%), rice (65.24%), wheat flour (61.25%), gram whole (50.47%), pulse moong (46%), pulse gram (44.53%), besan (43.25%), mustard oil (42.28%), pulse mash (37.1%), fresh fruits (35.33%), cooking oil (31.46%), milk fresh (29.27%), vegetable ghee (28.49%), tomatoes (22.44%), fish (22.28%), pulse masoor (22.07%), meat (20.01%), fresh vegetables (8.43%), potatoes (6.18%) and sugar (0.83%).

The non-food commodities that witnessed an increase during the period on a YoY basis included stationery (47.37%), transport services (29.97%), motor vehicle accessories (29.26%), motor vehicles (28.04%), marriage hall charges (19.93%), household textiles (14.55%), construction wage rates (14.24%), education (10.4%), house rent (5.43%), water supply (4.92%), newspapers (4.21%), electricity charges (0.69%) and communication services (0.52%).

The food commodities that witnessed decease during the period under review good, the prices of which declined by 2.72 %.

The CPI inflation Urban, increased to 24.4% on year-on-year basis in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 21.6% in the previous month and 13.0% in Jan 2022. On month-on-month basis, it increased to 2.4% in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 0.3% in the previous month and an increase of 0.1% in Jan 2022.

CPI inflation Rural, increased to 32.3% on year-on-year basis in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 28.8% in the previous month and 12.9% in Jan 2022. On month-on-month basis, it increased to 3.6% in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 0.7% in the previous month and an increase of 0.9% in Jan 2022.

Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) inflation on YoY increased to 30.5% in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 27.8% a month earlier and 20.9% in Jan 2022. On MoM basis, it increased by 1.3% in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 0.2% a month earlier and a decrease of 0.8% in Jan 2022.

Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on YoY basis increased to 28.5% in Jan 2023 as compared to an increase of 27.1% a month earlier and an increase of 24.0% in Jan 2022. On MoM basis, it increased by 1.8% in Jan 2023 as compared to a decrease of 0.7 a month earlier and an increase of 0.6% in corresponding month of last year i.e. Jan 2022. (APP)