ISLAMABAD: Consumer inflation eased to 9.6 per cent in October from 10.3pc a month earlier, mainly due to a slight slowdown in perishable food products, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.
The slowdown in the inflation rate for the second consecutive month, measured by the Consumer Price Index, reversed the sharp increase recorded in August, when higher food and energy prices pushed the annual rate to 11.1pc from 9.2pc in July.
The easing was recorded in both places, in rural areas where inflation fell to 9.5pc from 10.1pc, while urban inflation edged down to 9.8pc from 10.5pc.
The October reading was also within the Ministry of Finance’s projection of 9.5pc to 10.5pc for the month in its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook for October. According to the finance ministry, easing headline inflation offers some relief, while improved crop supplies can help ease food price pressures.
However, despite the decline in the annual rate, prices rose 1.1pc month-on-month in October. The annual inflation rate was 6.2pc in October last year.
The average inflation between July and October stood at 10.05pc compared with 4.79pc over the corresponding period last year.
