Weekly Inflation Jumps 1.93% Amid Fuel Surge

ISLAMABAD: A sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices pushed weekly inflation higher, as the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported on Friday that the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation rose by 1.93 percent for the combined consumption group during the week ended April 9, 2026.

According to PBS data, SPI for the week under review for the group rose to 355.66 points as compared to 348.94 points recorded in the previous week. On year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 12.15 percent.

The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16 = 100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group (up to Rs 17,732) increased by 0.75 percent to 334.17 points from 331.69 points.

The SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,733–22,888; Rs 22,889–29,517; Rs 29,518–44,175; and above Rs 44,175 increased by 1.02 percent, 1.17 percent, 1.56 percent and 2.50 percent, respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 28 items (54.90 percent) increased, 08 items (15.69 percent) decreased, while 15 items (29.41 percent) remained stable.

Major increase was observed in the prices of diesel which surged by 54.71 percent, followed by petrol 17.86 percent, tomatoes 9.35 percent, LPG 8.61 percent, potatoes 4.13 percent, onions 3.84 percent, eggs 3.77 percent, beef 1.07 percent and mutton 1.05 percent. Prices of cooked daal, bread and georgette also recorded increase during the week.

On the other hand, prices of garlic declined by 3.78 percent, bananas by 3.39 percent, chicken by 1.05 percent, wheat flour by 0.73 percent and vegetable ghee by 0.24 percent. Prices of cooking oil, pulse mash and gur also witnessed a decrease.

On year-on-year basis, the SPI for the week under review increased by 12.15 percent compared to the corresponding week of last year. During the period, major increase was recorded in the prices of diesel by 101.02 percent, LPG 65.86 percent, petrol 48.70 percent, onions 37.80 percent and wheat flour 30.10 percent. Prices of tomatoes, chilies powder, mutton, beef, powdered milk and bananas also increased.

Meanwhile, prices of potatoes declined by 46.32 percent, pulse gram by 18.83 percent, salt powder by 12.78 percent, pulse masoor and sugar by 11.52 percent each, chicken by 9.69 percent and pulse moong by 1.87 percent over the same period of last year, PBS reported.