Food prices push weekly inflation up 0.46%, annual rate reaches 15.28%

Weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator, increased by 0.46% for the combined consumption group during the week ended June 18, 2026, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported on Friday.

According to PBS, the SPI rose to 357.76 points during the week under review, compared with 356.11 points in the previous week.

On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 15.28%.

The weekly SPI, with base year 2015-16, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items across all expenditure groups.

For the lowest consumption group, with monthly spending of up to Rs17,732, the SPI increased by 0.64% to 339.41 points from 337.25 points.

The SPI for the consumption groups of Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 increased by 0.61%, 0.53%, 0.51% and 0.39%, respectively.

During the week, prices of 25 items, or 49.02% of the basket, increased. Prices of 11 items, or 21.57%, declined, while 15 items, or 29.41%, remained unchanged.

On a week-on-week basis, the largest increase was recorded in tomato prices, which rose by 16.65%. This was followed by potatoes at 6.82%, chicken 5.6%, washing soap 1.16%, gur 0.65%, mutton and LPG 0.51% each, shirting 0.48%, long cloth 0.43%, eggs 0.35%, fresh milk 0.29% and curd 0.26%.

Items that recorded price declines included onions, down 2.98%, garlic 2.51%, bananas 1.28%, petrol 1.06%, pulse mash 1.04%, salt powder 0.95%, pulse moong 0.61%, wheat flour 0.53%, diesel 0.51% and pulse gram 0.04%.

On a year-on-year basis, potato prices fell by 41.09%, followed by eggs 26.98%, pulse gram 22.32%, sugar 17.51%, salt powder 14.09%, pulse masoor 12.25%, pulse moong 5.48% and chicken 4.24%.

The highest annual increase was recorded in onion prices, which rose by 79.76%. This was followed by tomatoes at 68.59%, electricity charges for the first quarter 59.4%, wheat flour 58.72%, LPG 52.66%, petrol 44.73%, diesel 44.39%, mutton 16.3%, chilli powder 15.2%, beef 12.86%, garlic 10.74% and bread 8.67%.