In Pakistan, inflation declined for the second consecutive month in December, with the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) easing to 5.6 percent.
The primary reason for this decline was a significant drop in the prices of perishable food items. However, rising housing costs and persistently high core inflation highlighted the continued pressure on the economy.
Inflation stood at 6.1 percent in November and 6.2 percent in October, indicating a gradual slowdown.
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Despite this decline, the December inflation rate remained higher than the 4.1 percent recorded in December last year.
On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices fell by 0.4 percent in December.
The central bank has said the inflation outlook remains broadly unchanged, while the International Monetary Fund has cautioned against premature monetary easing under the $7 billion loan programme.
