ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis are facing increased living costs as the country’s weekly inflation rose by 0.97%, bringing the annual inflation rate to 8.24%.
According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, during the past week, the prices of 23 essential items increased, while 6 items became cheaper, and 22 commodities remained unchanged.
Vegetables experienced the highest price hikes, with onions up by 18.10% and tomatoes by 11.38%. Potato prices increased by 8.11%, and chicken prices rose by 8.70%.
Energy and daily-use commodities also saw notable increases; LPG prices surged 10.05%, while electricity charges for the first quarter climbed 6.11%. Moreover, the costs of eggs, garlic, mutton, beef, and firewood went up during the week.
Conversely, some essential items became cheaper: bananas fell by 4.50%, flour by 1%, while sugar, jaggery, and rice prices also recorded a decline.
Economists caution that the rising prices of food and energy may continue to strain household budgets, highlighting the need for careful monitoring of both domestic supply and global commodity.
Comments are closed.