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Aftab Maken
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), rose 0.91% during the week ended July 23, 2026, driven mainly by sharp increases in fuel and tomato prices, while annual SPI inflation accelerated to 9.66%, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
Pakistan’s weekly inflation increased by 0.91% during the week ended July 23, 2026, as higher fuel and food prices pushed up the cost of essential commodities, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The latest Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks weekly price movements of 51 essential items collected from 50 markets across 17 cities, showed tomatoes recorded the steepest increase, surging 39.92% over the previous week.
Diesel prices rose 15.87%, followed by eggs at 7.31% and petrol at 5.23%. Prices of potatoes increased 3.70%, while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) climbed 0.91%.
Other notable increases were recorded in cooked daal, Tea Lipton, mustard oil, garlic, cooked beef and washing soap. The survey also showed prices of several essential commodities declined during the week. Chicken prices fell 4.66%, bananas dropped 1.72%, while pulse moong and pulse mash decreased by 1.08% and 1.07%, respectively. Rice IRRI-6/9, pulse masoor, sugar and pulse gram also registered marginal declines.
Out of the 51 commodities monitored by PBS, prices of 22 items increased, eight items declined and 21 remained unchanged during the reporting week, indicating broad-based price pressures despite declines in some food products. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased 9.66%, reflecting persistent inflationary pressures in the economy.
Tomatoes recorded the highest annual increase of 253.04%, followed by onions at 81.55% and wheat flour at 74.13%. LPG prices were up 46.87% from a year earlier, while diesel increased 31.92% and electricity charges for the first quarter rose 22.79%.
Petrol prices climbed 20.32% compared with the same week last year. Mutton became 16.02% more expensive, followed by chili powder at 15.20%, beef at 13.09%, bananas at 12.06% and plain bread at 9.69%.
Among the commodities showing annual declines, potatoes posted the largest decrease of 32.69%, followed by pulse gram at 21.48%, sugar at 17.67%, salt powder at 14.09% and chicken at 13.73%.
The weekly SPI is used by policymakers to monitor short-term inflation trends and assess changes in the prices of essential household goods. The latest data suggest fuel price adjustments and volatility in perishable food items continue to influence inflation, while the year-on-year increase highlights ongoing cost-of-living pressures facing consumers across Pakistan.
