Weekly Inflation Spikes to 1.4-Year High in Pakistan

Pakistan’s inflationary pressure continued to rise as the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) spiked 1.93 percent for the week ending April 9, 2026, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The highest-income group saw the sharpest rise at 2.56 percent, while the lowest-income group recorded a 1.07 percent increase.

According to Topline Securities, the latest SPI reading is the highest level in 74 weeks, equivalent to roughly 17 months or about 1.4 years, highlighting the sustained upward pressure on inflation.

The weekly increase was mainly driven by food prices, particularly vegetables and protein items. Tomatoes recorded the steepest jump at 9.86 percent, followed by potatoes at 4.13 percent and onions at 3.84 percent. Egg prices rose 2.67 percent, while meat also became more expensive, with beef up 1.07 percent and mutton up 1.05 percent.

Pulse masoor increased by 1.08 percent.

Out of 51 essential items monitored, prices of 19 rose, 16 fell, and 16 remained unchanged, showing a mixed pattern but with an overall upward trend.

Some relief was seen in a few items. Garlic fell 7.58 percent, bananas dropped 3.39 percent, and chicken declined 1.05 percent.

Wheat flour edged down 0.73 percent, while LPG and gur also saw marginal decreases. However, these reductions were not enough to offset increases in key food staples.

On a year-on-year basis, inflationary pressure appears more severe, largely due to energy costs. Gas charges have surged by over 101 percent, while diesel prices are also up more than 101 percent and petrol has increased by 65.86 percent, significantly raising the cost of living. Among food items, onions are up 37.80 percent and wheat flour 10.30 percent.

Some items have declined over the year, including tomatoes by 15.20 percent, potatoes by 6.32 percent, and pulse gram by 18.33 percent, but these reductions have offered limited relief overall.

Inflation remains broad-based and persistent. Even with some weekly price declines, the overall SPI ahows rising pressure on household budgets across all income groups.