Weekly inflation falls 0.33%, YoY rises 13.98%

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation decreased by 0.33% during the week ended April 23, 2026, for the combined consumption group, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.

According to PBS data, the SPI for the week under review fell to 352.04 points compared to 353.21 points recorded in the previous week.

On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 13.98%. The weekly SPI, with base year 2015-16 = 100, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items across all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group (up to Rs17,732) decreased by 0.41% to 331.60 points from 332.97 points.

The SPI for consumption groups of Rs17,733–22,888; Rs22,889–29,517; Rs29,518–44,175; and above Rs44,175 decreased by 0.36%, 0.31%, 0.30%, and 0.34%, respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 19 items (37.25%) increased, 9 items (17.65%) decreased, while 23 items (45.10%) remained stable.

A major decrease was observed in the prices of tomatoes, which declined by 27.65%, followed by onions (9.35%), diesel (8.35%), LPG (7.08%), garlic (4.27%), bananas (0.47%), wheat flour (0.37%), sugar (0.36%), and mustard oil (0.22%).

On the other hand, prices of potatoes increased by 3.13%, followed by bread (0.91%), washing soap (0.85%), cooking oil (5 litre) (0.69%), long cloth (0.65%), eggs (0.61%), mutton (0.45%), chicken (0.44%), vegetable ghee (1 kg) (0.30%), and pulse masoor (0.27%).

On a year-on-year basis, the SPI for the week increased by 13.98% compared to the corresponding week last year. During this period, major increases were recorded in electricity charges for Q1 (54.02%), LPG (50.68%), petrol (44.10%), diesel (36.76%), wheat flour (36.06%), onions (31.89%), and tomatoes (23.46%).

Prices of chilli powder, mutton, beef, powdered milk, and garlic also increased. Meanwhile, prices of potatoes declined by 47.38%, pulse gram by 19.92%, salt powder by 13.22%, sugar by 11.74%, pulse masoor by 11.47%, pulse moong by 1.63%, packet tea by 1.14%, and masoor pulse by 11.47% over the same period last year, PBS reported.