Islamabad, February 21, 2025 – Inflation continues to rise sharply ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, with sugar prices reaching Rs 155.27 per kilogram. The latest figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) show that the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) recorded a 0.27% increase for the week ending February 20, 2025, compared to the previous week.
Sugar remains a key factor driving inflation, as its price increased from Rs 154.27 per kg in just one week. Over the past year, sugar has witnessed a significant rise of 6.55%, up from Rs 145.73 recorded on February 22, 2024. With sugar being a staple commodity in Pakistani households, its continuous rise is raising concerns among consumers. To counteract the price hike, the government has pledged to provide sugar at a subsidized rate of Rs 130 per kg, directing all relevant authorities to ensure its availability at this price during Ramadan.
The PBS tracks SPI on a weekly basis to monitor price fluctuations of essential commodities. The index includes 51 key items collected from 50 markets in 17 cities nationwide. The latest data highlights that inflation is affecting multiple household essentials, with sugar playing a major role in the overall price surge.
During the week ending February 20, 2025, notable price increases were observed in essential commodities such as bananas (11.89%), eggs (7.80%), chicken (4.47%), garlic (1.08%), sugar (0.65%), beef (0.52%), cigarettes (0.49%), mutton (0.22%), pulse masoor (0.15%), and washing soap (0.07%).
Conversely, declines were recorded in the prices of tomatoes (2.81%), diesel (1.49%), pulse gram (1.24%), onions (1.16%), potatoes (0.90%), pulse mash (0.60%), LPG (0.58%), petrol (0.36%), rice basmati broken (0.34%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (0.32%), and pulse moong (0.30%).
Out of the 51 essential items monitored, 11 items (21.57%) saw price increases, 16 items (31.37%) recorded a decline, while 24 items (47.06%) remained unchanged.
Year-on-year inflation data indicates an overall increase of 1.21%, with sugar continuing to be a major factor. Other significant increases include ladies’ sandals (75.09%), pulse moong (28.07%), pulse gram (26.20%), powdered milk (25.84%), bananas (24.15%), beef (22.47%), and potatoes (20.71%). Meanwhile, major price reductions were observed in tomatoes (58.82%), onions (49.86%), wheat flour (37.05%), and chilies powder (20.00%).
As inflation and sugar prices remain pressing economic issues, consumers are advised to stay updated on market trends while authorities work to mitigate price surges ahead of Ramadan.