Inflation increases 8.7pc in Feb: PBS

ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index-based inflation increased by 8.7 percent in February 2021 on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, according to the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Monday.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation general increased by 8.7 percent on a year-on-year basis in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 5.7 percent in the previous month and 12.4 percent in February 2020.
The market expectation of inflation for January was between 9.10 percent and 8.15 percent with the average estimate of 8.48 percent.
On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 1.8 percent in February 2021 as compared to a decrease of 0.2 percent in the previous month and a decrease of 1.0 percent in February 2020. The market expectation of monthly change was between 2.10 percent and 1.29 percent with the average estimate at 1.56 percent.
The CPI inflation urban increased by 8.6 percent on a year-on-year basis in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 5.0 percent in the previous month and 11.2 percent in February 2020.
On a month-on-month basis, it decreased by 2.3 percent in February 2021 as compared to a decrease of 0.2 percent in the previous month and a decrease of 1.1 percent in February 2020.
The CPI inflation rural increased by 8.8 percent on a year-on-year basis in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 6.6 percent in the previous month and 14.2 percent in February 2020. On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 1.1 percent in February 2021 as compared to a decrease of 0.3 percent in the previous month and a decrease of 1.0 percent in February 2020.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) inflation on YoY increased by 11.9 percent in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 7.7 percent a month earlier and an increase of 14.5 percent in February 2020. On the MoM basis, it increased by 3.1 percent in February 2021 as compared to a decrease of 0.8 percent a month earlier and a decrease of 0.8 percent in February 2020.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on YoY basis increased by 9.5 percent in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 6.4 percent a month earlier and an increase of 12.7 percent in February 2020. WPI inflation on MoM basis increased by 2.2 percent in February 2021 as compared to an increase of 2.5 percent a month earlier and a decrease of 0.7 percent in corresponding month i.e. February 2020. – TLTP