Pakistan’s wholesale prices increased 12.63 percent year-on-year in March of 2019, following a 11.03 percent rise in the previous month. This was the highest producer inflation since November last year, as prices rose faster for: food products, beverages & tobacco, textiles, apparel & leather products (17.76 percent from 10.63 percent in February); agriculture, forestry & fishery products (9.56 percent from 6.47 percent); other transportable goods except metal products, machinery & equipment (16 percent from 14.11 percent); and ores & minerals, electricity, gas & water (19.80 percent from 19.59 percent). Meantime, prices increased softer for metal products, machinery & equipment (6.89 percent from 7.36 percent). On a monthly basis, wholesale prices went up 1.70 percent, accelerating from a 0.90 percent rise in February. Producer Prices Change in Pakistan averaged 8.39 percent from 2000 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 35.90 percent in August of 2008 and a record low of -3.70 percent in March of 2015.
Producer Prices Change in Pakistan is expected to be 9.30 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Producer Prices Change in Pakistan to stand at 11.50 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Pakistan Wholesale Prices Change is projected to trend around 12.00 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.