Consumer inflation falls to 9.6pc in Oct from 10.3pc in Sept

Pakistan’s annual consumer inflation rate eased to 9.6% in October from 10.3% in September, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said, with slower increases in perishable food prices contributing to the decline. The October figure was the second monthly slowdown in a row and fell within the Finance Ministry’s forecast range of 9.5% to 10.5%.

The annual measure softened in both urban and rural areas, but prices still rose 1.1% from September. Transport costs climbed 30.39% in urban areas, while electricity charges rose 8.50% month on month; core inflation also declined, to 7.8% in cities and 7.1% in rural areas. Inflation averaged 10.05% from July to October, against 4.79% in the same period last year, Dawn reported.