Pakistan’s short-term inflation rises 4.34% YoY in the week ending October 9

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s short-term inflation, as measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), rose 4.34% year-on-year (YoY) for the week ending October 9, 2025, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The SPI recorded a marginal weekly increase of 0.17%, reflecting ongoing pressure from rising food and energy prices. The report highlighted significant price hikes in chicken, wheat flour, onions, and eggs, while prices for tomatoes, bananas, and potatoes decreased notably.

The SPI, which tracks prices of 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities, showed price hikes in 21 items (41.18%), declines in six items (11.76%), and no change in 24 items (47.06%).

Key increases included chicken (8.92%), onions (7.47%), and wheat flour (5.74%). Other commodities with price rises included eggs (2.25%), gur (1.70%), garlic (0.86%), and vegetable ghee (0.86% for 1kg, 0.59% for 2.5kg).

Conversely, tomatoes saw a significant price drop of 11.34%, while bananas, potatoes, LPG, pulse gram, and mustard oil also registered declines.

Inflationary pressures were observed across all consumption groups, with the highest weekly increase of 0.20% recorded for the fourth quintile (upper-middle-income households), and the lowest rise of 0.14% in the lowest-income group.

On a YoY basis, the SPI showed notable increases in several essential commodities, including tomatoes (109.82%), ladies’ sandals (55.62%), sugar (36.08%), and gas charges for the lowest slab (29.85%). Wheat flour (17.70%), pulse moong (15.90%), and gur (13.79%) also experienced significant price hikes.

However, price relief was seen in commodities like onions (-43.16%), garlic (-28.16%), electricity charges for Q1 (-26.26%), pulse gram (-24.97%), and chicken (-24.30%). Prices of potatoes (-18.51%), pulse mash (-18.17%), and tea (-17.93%) also declined compared to last year.

PBS data suggests that while inflation has moderated from last year’s high levels, food price volatility remains a concern, with upcoming seasonal shifts and changes in fuel and energy tariffs expected to influence price dynamics in the coming weeks.