Pakistan’s short-term inflation increased to 11.97% year-on-year in the week ending October 8, 2026, as higher food prices, particularly wheat flour, continued to put pressure on household budgets. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), which tracks weekly changes in the prices of essential goods and services, rose by 0.57% compared with the previous week. The latest figures indicate that inflationary pressures remain persistent, with increases in food, energy and transportation costs contributing to the rising cost of everyday necessities. Short-term inflation has remained in double digits for several consecutive weeks, reflecting the continued impact of higher petroleum prices and their influence on the broader cost of goods and services.
The PBS monitors 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities to calculate the weekly index. During the week under review, prices of 20 items, representing 39.22% of the monitored basket, increased. Prices of six items, or 11.76%, declined, while the prices of the remaining 25 items, accounting for 49.02%, remained unchanged. The distribution shows that price increases affected a substantial portion of the essential commodities tracked by the statistical agency, even though some goods became cheaper or recorded no weekly change. The SPI provides an indicator of short-term price movements and offers an updated picture of the pressures consumers face when purchasing food, household necessities and other commonly used products.
Wheat flour recorded the largest weekly increase among the listed essential items, with prices rising by 5.69%. Chicken prices increased by 4.93%, while pulse gram became 3.99% more expensive. Petrol and tomatoes each recorded a 2.40% increase, followed by pulse masoor at 1.29%. Prepared tea prices rose by 1.08%, cooked daal increased by 0.98%, pulse mash went up by 0.91%, and liquefied petroleum gas prices increased by 0.57%. These movements reflect the pressure affecting both food and energy-related expenses. For households already dealing with higher transportation and utility costs, additional increases in staple foods can further reduce the amount of income available for other essential spending.
Several items recorded weekly price declines, although these reductions did not offset the overall increase in the index. Banana prices fell by 2.81%, while diesel declined by 1.37%. Potatoes became 0.89% cheaper, sugar prices decreased by 0.37%, gur fell by 0.19%, and pulse moong recorded a marginal decline of 0.03%. The mixed price movements demonstrate that inflation was not uniform across all products. Some commodities experienced temporary relief, while others, particularly flour, chicken and several pulses, continued to become more expensive. The overall SPI increase indicates that the combined effect of rising prices across the monitored basket outweighed the declines recorded in selected items during the week.
The annual comparison highlights more pronounced increases in several essential goods and energy-related expenses. Onion prices rose by 100.24% year-on-year, while liquefied petroleum gas increased by 68.55%. Electricity charges for the first quarter recorded a 58.59% increase, while petrol prices climbed by 47.52% and diesel by 42.52%. Wheat flour became 32.60% more expensive over the year. Other increases included chilli powder at 15.55%, mutton at 15.02%, beef at 12.60%, chicken at 9.44%, plain bread at 8.99% and curd at 8.08%. These figures show that consumers continue to face substantial annual increases in the cost of several foods and household energy requirements, even where individual products may have experienced recent weekly declines.
In contrast, some commodities recorded significant year-on-year price reductions. Potato prices declined by 39.51%, followed by tomatoes at 37.07% and sugar at 22.44%. Egg prices fell by 18.88%, powdered salt decreased by 14.81%, and pulse masoor prices dropped by 9.79%. Gur prices declined by 8.59%, while pulse moong became 8.37% cheaper compared with the same period last year. However, these reductions have occurred alongside steep increases in other necessities, including onions, flour, petrol, diesel and electricity. The different movements across the basket mean that the impact of inflation can vary depending on household consumption patterns and the types of goods families purchase most frequently.
Rising petroleum prices and transportation expenses remain important factors in the current inflationary environment. According to the report, the government has continued to increase petrol and diesel prices while maintaining the petroleum levy. Higher fuel costs affect consumers directly through transportation expenses and can also raise the cost of moving agricultural produce and other goods to markets. The resulting increase in distribution expenses can place additional pressure on food prices, including those of onions, tomatoes and other vegetables. The report also noted that higher prices for goods and services can increase sales tax collections, as tax analysts have pointed out. However, for consumers, the same price increases can mean a greater share of household income is required to cover routine purchases.
The government has also expressed concern over the rising cost of essential commodities. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee on Thursday and directed provincial and district administrations to strengthen monitoring of supplies, market arrivals and commodity prices. The directions also covered action against hoarding, profiteering and unjustified price increases, particularly concerning wheat flour. The measures are intended to improve oversight of market conditions and address practices that may contribute to higher consumer prices. The latest PBS figures nevertheless show that weekly inflation remains elevated, with increases in food and energy costs continuing to affect households across Pakistan. Further price developments will depend on movements in fuel costs, transportation expenses, food supplies and the effectiveness of government monitoring measures.
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