Summary The price of a 20kg flour bag reached around Rs3,400 in Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar, according to the report.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Flour prices have surged by as much as Rs400 per 20-kilogramme bag in a week, with consumers in Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad facing some of the highest prices, as Pakistan’s weekly inflation increased by 0.57%, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Annual inflation rose to 11.97%, reflecting continued pressure on household budgets amid rising prices of essential food items and energy.
According to the PBS data, prices of 20 essential commodities increased during the week, while six items became cheaper and 25 remained unchanged.
Flour prices rose by 5.69% during the week, followed by chicken at 4.93%, gram pulse at 3.99% and tomatoes at 2.40%. Petrol prices also increased by 2.40%, while lentils, tea and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) became more expensive.
Flour prices vary across cities
The price of a 20kg flour bag reached around Rs3,400 in Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar, according to the report.
Rawalpindi recorded a significant increase of Rs347, taking the price to Rs3,333 per bag. In Sialkot, the price rose by Rs333 to Rs3,133.
In Sukkur, a 20kg bag became Rs300 more expensive, reaching Rs3,060, while prices in Hyderabad increased by Rs200 to Rs3,200.
Quetta recorded an increase of Rs70, taking the price to Rs3,030 per bag. In Multan, the price rose by Rs66 to Rs2,866.
In contrast, flour prices remained unchanged at Rs2,300 per 20kg bag in Lahore and Rs2,200 in Faisalabad.
The sharp rise in flour prices is likely to put additional pressure on lower- and middle-income households, for whom flour is a staple food.
Some commodities become cheaper
The PBS data showed that banana prices declined by 2.81% during the week, while diesel became 1.37% cheaper. Potato prices fell by 0.89% and sugar prices by 0.37%.
However, the overall increase in essential commodity prices contributed to the rise in weekly inflation.
Annual inflation remains a concern
On a year-on-year basis, onion prices recorded the steepest increase among the listed commodities, rising by 100.24%. LPG prices increased by 68.55%, while electricity charges rose by 58.59%.
Petrol prices increased by 47.52% and diesel by 42.52% over the same period.
Wheat flour became 32.60% more expensive year-on-year. Other increases included chilli powder at 15.55%, mutton at 15.02%, beef at 12.60% and chicken at 9.44%. Prices of plain bread and yoghurt rose by 8.99% and 8.08%, respectively.
Some food items, however, recorded annual declines. Potato prices fell by 39.51%, tomatoes by 37.07%, sugar by 22.44%, eggs by 18.88% and powdered salt by 14.81%.
The latest figures highlight the uneven movement of food prices, with increases in staple commodities such as flour continuing to challenge household purchasing power.
Pakistan’s weekly inflation rose 0.57% as flour prices increased by up to Rs400 per 20kg bag, while annual inflation reached 11.97%, official data showed.
