How PBS Calculates CPI in Pakistan?

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics calculates CPI of Pakistan.

Pakistan is comprised of 138 districts. The PBS takes 71 markets of 35 urban centers in
these Districts to calculate consumer price index. Keeping in view the overall
population, 35 markets are taken from the biggest province, Punjab.

Initially, (in 1948-49) the consumer price index was calculated from markets in three
cities; Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot. However, since then the Federal Bureau of
Statistics has tried to make it more representative by selecting more markets, more
categories of items and more sections of classes.

The Federal Bureau of Statistics had been categorizing the population among four
income groups starting from Rs.3000/-, Rs.3001/- to Rs.5000/-, Rs.5001/- to
Rs.12000/- and Rs.12000/- to above since 2000-2001 – base year to calculate the CPI.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics claimed that it is easier to measure ‘price impact’ of
different commodities on the people in various income groups.

In December 2011, the government of Pakistan established Pakistan Bureau of

Statistics. "The former Federal Bureau of Statistics, the Agriculture Census
Organization, the Population Census Organization and the Technical Wing of Statistics
Division have been merged in Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

(Official Website)."

Market Basket of Goods

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics takes a market basket of 374 items in ten significant
groups; food & beverages, apparel, textile and footwear, house rent, fuel and lighting,
household, furniture & equipment, transport and communication, recreation and
entertainment, education, cleaning, laundry, and Medicare. The diversified list of items
in the basket is an attempt to include different income groups to calculate consumer
price index.

Weights of Different Items

Item Group Weight

Food and Beverages: 40.34

Apparel, Footwear and Textile: 6.10

House Rent: 23.40

Fuel and Lighting: 7.29

Household, Furniture and Equipments: 3.29

Transport and Communication:

7.32

Recreation and Entertainment:

0.83

Education:
3.45

Cleaning, Laundry and Personal Appearance:

5.88

Medicare

2.07
Total:

100

Data Collection
The PBS has stationed its employees in 35 districts to collect price data of different
items for the basket in different dates of the month. Data about apparel, fuel, lighting,
footwear, and textile is collected from 1st to 3rd of every month. During the next three
days, the data about Household, Furniture & Equipment, etc. and Transport &
Communication is calculated. From 7th to 10th of every month, the data about
Recreation, Entertainment & Education Cleaning, Laundry & Personal Appearance &
Medicare is collected. The employees of the PBS go to the market and purchase food
and beverages from 11th to 14th of every month. It is not clear why data for last the
remaining 14/15 days is not being collected.
The price collectors get four quotations of each item from different shops in the market.
The average price of these four quotations is taken as the representative price of that
item in a particular market. An average price of that item in all selected markets is
considered as national level price. The data collection operation is supervised by the
senior officers in each selected District. The national level analysis is done at the
headquarters and in case of any doubt or confusion the price collectors are contacted
directly.

Use of Laspeyres' Formula

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), applies Laspeyre’s formula to calculate
consumer price index (CPI) (Statistics n.d.).

ln = Σ (Pn/Po) x wi x 100
Σ wi

Where ln = CPI for the nth period

Pn = price of an item in the nth period
Po = price of an item in the base period
wi = weight of the ith item in the base period = Po x qo / Σ PoxQo
Σwi = Total weight of all items.

CPI Increase in 2012

In May 2012, consumer price index in Pakistan rose by 12.3 percent compared to 11.3
percent during the previous years. The national daily English newspaper NEWS reported
on June 02, 2012:

"During May 2012, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages went up by 11.24
percent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco by 11.64 percent, clothing, and footwear
prices soared 16 percent, housing water, electricity and gas fuels 10.8 percent, health
care charges 12 percent, transportation 17.1 percent, education 12.2 percent over May
2011."

Another English newspaper DAWN reported about the increase in CPI in 2012:

"According to Finance Minister Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, while releasing the Economic
Survey of Pakistan 2011-12 on Thursday, inflation measured by CPI had maintained a
steady decline over the past three years and stood at 10.8 percent in 10 months of the
current year while it was 13.8 percent last year."

Pakistan Consumer Price Index (CPI) 2001-

2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar
Consumer Price Index CPI in Pakistan decreased to
219.58 Index Points in February from 220.27 Index Points
in January of 2018. Consumer Price Index CPI in
Pakistan averaged 133.14 Index Points from 2001 until
2018, reaching an all time high of 220.42 Index Points in
November of 2017 and a record low of 62.82 Index Points
in July of 2001.

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Pakistan Prices Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit

Inflation Rate 3.80 4.42 37.81 -10.32 percent [+]

Pakistan Prices Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit

Consumer Price Index CPI 219.58 220.27 220.42 62.82 Index Points [+]

Core Inflation Rate 5.20 5.20 11.40 3.40 percent [+]

GDP Deflator 256.60 251.31 256.60 100.00 Index Points [+]

Producer Prices 224.66 224.99 224.99 20.05 Index Points [+]

Export Prices 707.50 703.40 771.50 1.20 Index Points [+]

Import Prices 1204.20 1232.00 1637.33 0.60 Index Points [+]

Inflation Rate Mom 0.03 -0.10 3.33 -1.32 percent [+]

Food Inflation 5.10 5.16 12.99 -1.06 percent [+]

CPI Transportation 184.47 182.63 205.10 141.37 Index Points [+]

Producer Prices Change 4.10 4.70 35.90 -3.70 percent [+]

Pakistan Consumer Price Index (CPI)

In Pakistan, the Consumer Price Index or CPI measures
changes in the prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods
and services. This page provides - Pakistan Consumer Price
Index (CPI) - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart,
statistics, economic calendar and news. Pakistan Consumer
Price Index (CPI) - actual data, historical chart and calendar of
releases - was last updated on March of 2018.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency

219.58 220.27 220.42 62.82 2001 - 2018 Index Points Monthly 2007/2008=100, NSA

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Consumer Price Index Cpi By Country

 World

 Europe

 America

 Asia

 Africa

 Australia

 G20

Country Last Previous Highest Lowest

Australia 112.10 Dec/17 111 112 4.2 Index Points Quarterly

Brazil 4946.50 Feb/18 4931 4946 0 Index Points Monthly

Canada 132.50 Feb/18 132 132 12.1 Index Points Monthly

China 102.90 Feb/18 102 128 97.8 Index Points Monthly

Euro Area 101.98 Feb/18 102 103 70.52 Index Points Monthly

France 101.72 Feb/18 102 102 66.4 Index Points Monthly

Germany 110.30 Feb/18 110 111 20.5 Index Points Monthly

 Country Last Previous Highest Lowest

India 136.40 Feb/18 137 138 86.81 Index Points Monthly

Indonesia 132.32 Feb/18 132 132 18.86 Index Points Monthly

Italy 101.50 Feb/18 102 102 3.6 Index Points Monthly

Japan 101.30 Feb/18 101 101 17.4 Index Points Monthly

Mexico 132.01 Feb/18 132 132 0.01 Index Points Monthly

Netherlands 102.31 Feb/18 102 102 15.35 Index Points Monthly

Russia 554.20 Feb/18 553 554 0.1 Index Points Monthly

South Korea 104.26 Feb/18 103 104 2.63 Index Points Monthly

Spain 102.23 Feb/18 102 103 1.83 Index Points Monthly

Switzerland 101.07 Feb/18 101 101 20.6 Index Points Monthly

Turkey 333.17 Feb/18 331 333 94.77 Index Points Monthly

United Kingdom 104.90 Feb/18 104 105 48.4 Index Points Monthly

United States 249.62 Feb/18 249 250 23.51 Index Points Monthly