Overview

• For the week ended October 2, the Sensitive Price Indicator was up 0.56% week on week and 4.07% year on year, according to PBS.
• Out of 51 tracked essentials, prices rose for 19 items, fell for 12, and were unchanged for 20.
• Tomatoes jumped 46.44% on the week, with petrol up 1.72% and diesel up 1.45%, while chicken fell 7.96% alongside smaller declines in bananas and key pulses.
• On a yearly basis, tomatoes climbed 89.81% as onions dropped 44.93% and chicken fell 31.08%, reflecting sharp cross‑currents within food prices.
• PBS data show the steepest yearly SPI increases for middle‑income groups (Q3 at 4.83% and Q4 at 4.86%), versus 3.90% for the lowest quintile and 3.35% for the highest; the SPI uses a 2015–16 base and tracks 51 items across 17 urban centers.