Overview
- Consumer prices rose 0.3% from January, easing from a 0.4% increase the prior month.
- Urban inflation registered 6.8% year over year, with rural inflation higher at 7.3%.
- Core non-food, non-energy inflation remained elevated at 7.1% in urban areas and 8.3% in rural readings.
- The Sensitive Price Indicator increased 4.8% year over year and the Wholesale Price Index rose 1.0%, indicating milder upstream pressure than retail prices.
- The State Bank of Pakistan kept its policy rate at 10.5% in its latest review, and Governor Jameel Ahmad cautioned inflation could exceed 7% in the fiscal year’s second half.