Overview
- PBS reported the Sensitive Price Indicator for the week ended December 18 at 336.53 points, up from 335.73, with a 3.75% year‑on‑year increase.
- Food items led the weekly rise, with chicken up 11.11% and eggs up 2.88%, alongside smaller gains in chili powder, cooking oil, firewood and shirting fabric.
- Price declines offered partial offset as tomatoes fell 11.38%, potatoes dropped 8.39%, sugar eased 4.52% and high‑speed diesel decreased 5.00%.
- Energy and staples showed notable year‑on‑year increases, including gas charges for Q1 up 29.85%, sugar up 24.10% and wheat flour up 22.52%.
- Inflation pressure varied by income group, with a 0.28% weekly rise for the highest expenditure quintile versus 0.07% for the lowest, and 17 of 51 tracked items rising as 14 fell and 20 were unchanged.