Weekly SPI-based inflation falls 0.33%, annual rate reaches 14.47%

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation for the combined consumption group declined by 0.33 percent during the week ending May 21, 2026. However, on a year-on-year basis, the SPI recorded an increase of 14.47 percent, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

According to PBS data, SPI for the week under review declined to 357.54 points as compared to 358.71 points recorded in the previous week. On year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 14.47 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) decreased by 0.06 percent to 335.56 points from 335.77 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 decreased by 0.28 percent, 0.15 percent, 0.13 percent and 0.36 percent, respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 26 items (50.98 percent) increased, 11 items (21.57 percent) decreased, while 14 items (27.45 percent) remained stable.

On Week-on-Week basis (WoW), the items that witnessed decline in prices included chicken which declined by 8.56 percent, followed by electricity charges for Q1 by 6.08 percent, garlic 3.53 percent, pulse moong 1.45 percent, petrol and diesel 1.21 percent each, LPG 0.87 percent, pulse gram 0.26 percent, bananas 0.18 percent and eggs by 0.10 percent.

On the other hand, major increase was observed in the prices of tomatoes which rose by 7.17 percent, followed by onions 6.08 percent, wheat flour 1.84 percent, long cloth 0.97 percent, georgette 0.95 percent, potatoes 0.87 percent, cooked daal 0.72 percent, tea prepared 0.42 percent, while cooking oil and curd increased by 0.34 percent each.

On year-on-year basis, prices of potatoes declined by 42.02 percent, followed by eggs 24.47 percent, pulse gram 21.84 percent, chicken 21.79 percent, sugar 14.95 percent, salt powder 13.26 percent, pulse masoor 11.83 percent and pulse moong by 4.21 percent over the same period of last year, PBS reported.

Major increase was recorded in the prices of onions by 68.33 percent, followed by petrol 62.24 percent, diesel 60.90 percent, wheat flour 59.45 percent, LPG 50.73 percent, electricity charges for Q1 43.30 percent and tomatoes by 34.58 percent. Prices of mutton, chilies powder, garlic, beef and bananas also increased.