Consumer inflation eases to 8.2 percent in August

0 Zeeshan Haider September 02, 2020

ISLAMABAD: The consumer price index (CPI) based monthly inflation eased at 8.2 percent in August from 9.3 percent during July due to decline in prices of essential food items, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) report.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data showed that consumer price index (CPI) inflation increased by 0.6% in August as compared to an increase of 2.5% in the previous month and an increase of 1.6% in August 2019.

Prices of chicken fell 36.45 percent in August over July, followed by tomatoes (31.83pc), fresh fruits (23.15pc), pulse moong (6.5pc), vegetables (2.78pc), pulse mash (2.28pc), fish (1.87pc), gram whole (1.78pc), eggs (1.33pc), pulse gram (1.29pc), besan (1.21pc), pulse masoor (0.98pc), vegetable ghee (0.86pc) and cooking oil (0.59pc). Prices of chicken also decreased 38.28 percent year-on-year, followed by onions (33.02pc), fish (8.5pc) and fresh fruits (1.32pc).

According to PBS data, the Urban CPI inflation increased by 7.1% on year-on-year basis in August 2020 as compared to an increase of 7.8% in the previous month and 10.6% in August 2019. On month-on-month basis, it increased by 0.8% in August 2020 as compared to an increase of 2.2% in the previous month and an increase of 1.5% in August 2019.

Meanwhile, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation on YoY basis increased by 11.7% in August 2020 as compared to an increase of 13.7% a month earlier and an increase of 12.1% in August 2019. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.9% in August 2020 as compared to an increase of 3.0% a month earlier and an increase of 2.7% in August 2019.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation on YoY basis increased by 3.3% in August 2020 as compared to an increase of 3.2% a month earlier and an increase of 14.1% in August 2019. WPI inflation on MoM basis increased by 1.3% in August 2020 as compared to a decrease of 5.