Weekly Inflation Rises 8.62% as Fuel and Food Prices Push Costs Higher
Weekly inflation in Pakistan continued to rise, with the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) increasing by 8.62% year-on-year during the week ended September 10, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Higher prices of onions, petroleum products, LPG and several essential food items contributed significantly to the increase, adding to pressure on household budgets.
Onion Prices Rise Sharply
Among the items monitored under the SPI, onions recorded the largest year-on-year increase, with prices rising by 125.52% compared with the same period last year.
Other major increases included:
| Item | Year-on-Year Increase |
|---|---|
| Onions | 125.52% |
| LPG | 55.42% |
| Diesel | 45.26% |
| Petrol | 39.10% |
| Wheat flour | 30.18% |
| Electricity for Q1 | 25.24% |
| Chilli powder | 16.37% |
| Mutton | 15.92% |
| Beef | 13.28% |
| Bananas | 10.51% |
| Fresh milk | 8.12% |
| Plain bread | 8.09% |
The figures indicate that fuel and several basic food products have become considerably more expensive compared with last year.
Some Essential Items Become Cheaper
Despite the overall increase in weekly inflation, several products were cheaper on a year-on-year basis.
Potato prices declined by 35.21%, while chicken became 24.30% cheaper. Sugar prices fell by 20.88%, followed by eggs at 19.95% and tomatoes at 17.65%.
Other year-on-year declines included salt powder at 13.96%, gram pulse at 13.52% and masoor pulse at 12.26%.
Weekly Inflation Edges Higher
On a week-on-week basis, the SPI increased by 0.23%.
Petrol recorded the largest weekly increase at 6.18%, followed by diesel at 5.49% and LPG at 4.32%.
Prices of other products that increased during the week included mash pulse, washing soap, wheat flour, masoor pulse, mustard oil, cooking oil, Irri-6/9 rice, vegetable ghee and curd.
At the same time, prices of several food items declined. Bananas fell by 7.73%, tomatoes by 5.24%, chicken by 4.22% and onions by 3.72%. Potato, egg, garlic and sugar prices also recorded weekly declines.
Most Items Remain Unchanged
The weekly SPI covers 51 essential consumer items. During the week under review:
- 14 items (27.45%) became more expensive
- 10 items (19.61%) became cheaper
- 27 items (52.94%) remained unchanged
The data highlights the mixed movement in prices, although the overall direction of weekly inflation remained upward.
Fuel Costs Add to Consumer Pressure
The rise in petroleum prices has also increased transportation and freight expenses, putting additional pressure on the prices of goods and services.
Higher fuel and transport costs can increase the cost of moving products from farms, factories and distribution centres to retail markets, which may eventually affect consumers.
Wheat Flour Prices Vary Across Cities
The latest weekly data also showed significant differences in wheat flour prices across major cities.
In Karachi, consumers were paying between Rs2,950 and Rs3,200 for a 20kg bag of wheat, among the highest prices recorded in the country.
Meanwhile, the price of fine flour in Islamabad and Quetta stood at around Rs173 per kilogram.
The latest SPI figures underline continued pressure on household expenses, particularly from fuel, cooking and essential food products.
