ISLAMABAD: Weekly inflation for combined income group, measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), slightly decreased by 0.25 per cent for the week ended March 3 as compared to the previous week, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data showed on Friday.

The decline in SPI was led by deceleration in prices of vegetables, sugar, pulses, edible oil, LPG cylinder etc.

SPI monitors prices of 53 items based on the survey of markets in 17 cities.

The impact of prices on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review.

For the lowest income group earning up to Rs8,000, the SPI edged up 0.01pc over the previous week, while inflation for the top income group (Rs35,000 and above) was down by 0.48pc.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review increased by 3.92pc.

The food items which registered increase in their prices are chicken 10.34pc; bananas 3.26pc; garlic 0.92pc; potatoes 0.36pc; onions 0.27pc; rice basmati broken 0.25pc; wheat 0.08pc; red chilly powder 0.07pc and mutton 0.03pc.