Consumer inflation eases to 10.3pc in September from 11.1pc in August, official data shows

Consumer inflation slowed to 10.3 per cent in September from 11.1 per cent in August, according to Dawn, citing the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The fall was driven mainly by a steep drop in food prices, even as electricity and fuel costs kept rising. On a month-on-month basis, however, prices still rose 1.3 per cent in September.

Rural inflation fell to 10.5 per cent from 12.2 per cent, while urban inflation eased to 10.1 per cent from 10.4 per cent. Food inflation fell far more sharply, down to 8.1 per cent in urban areas and 7.7 per cent in rural areas. Non-food inflation moved the other way, with urban rates rising to 11.5 per cent and rural rates to 13.1 per cent.

Electricity charges rose 15.28 per cent month-on-month and motor fuel prices climbed 10.76 per cent in urban areas. Core inflation eased slightly to 8.6 per cent in urban areas and 8.1 per cent in rural areas. The Finance Ministry had projected September inflation at between 10 and 11 per cent, and the reading landed within that range.