ISLAMABAD:

The inflation rate jumped to a one-year high of 5.6% in September due to a surge in prices of non-perishable food items, while the cost of perishable goods decreased despite floods, beating official expectations of a relatively lower price hike.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Wednesday that inflation accelerated in both rural and urban centres, with price increases witnessed across various groups of the inflation basket, barring perishable foods.

As a result, inflation surged to 5.6% last month, the highest in a year, exceeding the Ministry of Finance's maximum forecast of 4.5% issued just a day earlier. The inflation bulletin coincided with ongoing talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The economic impact of the floods remains

See Full Page