Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), recorded a year-on-year increase of 3.75% for the week ending December 18, 2025, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The SPI tracks price movements of 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities, providing a snapshot of short-term inflationary pressures affecting households nationwide.
On a week-on-week basis, the SPI rose by 0.24%, reflecting mixed trends in essential goods. Food items contributed significantly to upward pressure, with chicken prices surging 11.11%, powdered chilli climbing 3.08%, and eggs increasing 2.88%. Additional increases were seen in shirting (1.64%), firewood (0.86%), cooking oil (0.32%), and energy savers (0.31%). These gains were partially offset by declines in tomatoes (11.38%), potatoes (8.39%), sugar (4.52%), onions (3.52%), and high-speed diesel (5%).
Of the 51 monitored items, prices of 17 items rose, 14 decreased, and 20 remained unchanged.
The year-on-year comparison highlights persistent inflationary pressures in essential commodities. Gas charges for the first quarter rose 29.85%, sugar increased 24.10%, wheat flour climbed 22.52%, chicken surged 20.78%, beef rose 13.66%, gur increased 13.43%, and firewood went up 12.08%. Conversely, vegetable prices eased significantly, with tomatoes down 66.49%, potatoes falling 45.31%, garlic declining 39.10%, onions dropping 29.77%, and pulse gram down 28.95%. Lipton tea prices also fell by 17.79%.
Inflationary impacts varied across income groups. Weekly inflation was highest in the top expenditure quintile, at 0.28% for households spending over Rs44,175 per month, while the lowest quintile saw a rise of only 0.07%. Year-on-year, the middle-income group (Q3) experienced the steepest inflation at 3.79%, compared to 2.39% for the poorest quintile.
The combined SPI index stood at 336.53 points, up from 335.73 the previous week. While weekly inflation remains moderate, elevated energy charges and staple food costs continue to strain household budgets, particularly for middle- and lower-middle-income families. Seasonal declines in perishable items such as vegetables and recent adjustments in fuel prices have provided some relief, keeping short-term inflation contained as the year comes to a close.
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