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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s short-term inflation inched higher during the week ending 20 November 2025 as the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) recorded a rise of 0.07%, driven mainly by sharp increases in tomato and LPG prices. The SPI, compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, tracks the movement of 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities.
Tomato prices surged 57.03% during the week, marking the steepest jump across the basket. LPG prices followed with an increase of 5.16%, while garlic, sugar and diesel rose by 2.61%, 2.23% and 2.17% respectively. Modest increases were also noted in georgette fabric, bananas, prepared tea, firewood, vegetable ghee, beef and mustard oil.
However, several key food items recorded notable declines. Onion prices fell sharply by 12.38%, while chicken dropped 8.07%. Potatoes slid 5.69%, followed by declines in salt powder, pulse moong, wheat flour, pulse gram and eggs. Overall, out of 51 monitored items, 16 saw price increases, 13 decreased and 22 remained unchanged.
On a year-on-year basis, the SPI showed an increase of 3.53%, reflecting persistent inflationary pressures in essential commodities. Sugar prices were up 43.77% compared with the same week a year earlier, while gas charges rose 29.85%. Wheat flour, gur, beef, firewood, bananas, diesel and household essentials such as vegetable ghee and powdered milk also recorded annual increases.
In contrast, garlic saw a steep annual decline of 36.79%, while potatoes dropped nearly 30%. Prices of pulses, electricity charges for Q1, branded tea, LPG and onions also recorded year-on-year decreases.
The mixed weekly movements illustrate the continuing volatility in perishable food items, particularly vegetables, alongside sustained annual increases in staples such as sugar and wheat flour. The SPI remains a key gauge of short-term inflation trends for policymakers assessing food-price pressures on households.
