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Aftab Maken
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s short-term inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), increased by 0.46 percent during the week ending June 18, 2026, mainly driven by higher prices of vegetables, poultry products, and other essential commodities, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The SPI, which tracks the weekly movement in prices of 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities, showed a broad-based increase in consumer prices during the review period.
Among the commodities recording the sharpest weekly increases were tomatoes, whose prices surged by 16.65 percent, followed by potatoes at 6.82 percent and chicken at 5.60 percent. Other items that registered notable increases included washing soap (1.16 percent), gur (0.65 percent), mutton and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at 0.51 percent each, shirting (0.48 percent), long cloth (0.43 percent), eggs (0.35 percent), fresh milk (0.29 percent), and curd (0.26 percent).
However, some essential items witnessed a decline in prices during the week. Onion prices fell by 2.98 percent, while garlic became cheaper by 2.51 percent. Prices of bananas dropped by 1.28 percent, followed by petrol at 1.06 percent, pulse mash at 1.04 percent, salt powder at 0.95 percent, pulse moong at 0.61 percent, wheat flour at 0.53 percent, diesel at 0.51 percent, and pulse gram at 0.04 percent.
The PBS data showed that out of the 51 commodities monitored, prices of 25 items increased, 11 items recorded a decline, and 15 remained unchanged during the week.
On a year-on-year basis, the SPI registered a significant increase of 15.28 percent, highlighting the continued inflationary pressures facing consumers.
Among the commodities showing the highest annual increase were onions, up by 79.76 percent, tomatoes by 68.59 percent, electricity charges for the first quarter by 59.40 percent, wheat flour by 58.72 percent, LPG by 52.66 percent, petrol by 44.73 percent, diesel by 44.39 percent, mutton by 16.30 percent, chili powder by 15.20 percent, beef by 12.86 percent, garlic by 10.74 percent, and bread by 8.67 percent.
In contrast, several items recorded substantial declines compared to the same period last year. Potato prices fell by 41.09 percent, eggs by 26.98 percent, and pulse gram by 22.32 percent. Sugar and several other food items also showed year-on-year reductions, providing some relief to consumers.
The latest SPI figures indicate that despite recent declines in fuel prices and selected food commodities, inflationary pressures remain elevated, particularly in essential food items and utility costs, continuing to affect household budgets across the country.
