Pakistan inflation swells 3.86pc in seven months in FY2018

ISLAMABAD, Feb 02 (Xinhua): The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said that average inflation in the country increased by 3.86 per cent during the first seven months of the Financial Year 2018 as against the same period of last year.

As per the official data, the inflation rate in the South Asian country expanded by 4.42 per cent in the month of January when compared with 4.57 per cent in December 2017 and 3.66 per cent in January 2017.

On a monthly comparison, the inflation trimmed down by 0.03 per cent in January when compared with the figure of previous month, said Director Prices of the PBS Attiq-ur-Rehman at a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday.

He further stated that the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) during the month increased by 1.81 per cent while the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) decreased by 1.04 per cent.

The CPI-based inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased 5.10 per cent in January as against the same month of last year.

Moreover, the inflation for non-perishable food items went up 2.85 per cent, perishable items by 20.40 per cent, clothing and footwear 4.3 per cent, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 4.17 per cent, furnishing and household equipment maintenance 4.04 per cent, health 4.04 per cent, and CPI inflation for transport increased by 5.68 per cent.

Similarly, the CPI-based inflation for communication swelled by 1.26 per cent, recreation and culture by 0.88 per cent, education by 12.40 per cent, restaurant and hotel 6.69 per cent while the CPI for miscellaneous goods and service expanded by 7.17 per cent, he added.