ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation increased by 1.01 per cent during the week ended April 2, 2026 for the combined consumption group, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.
According to PBS data, the SPI for the week under review rose to 348.94 points, compared with 345.45 points in the previous week. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 9.12 per cent.
The weekly SPI, with base year 2015-16 = 100, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items across all expenditure groups.The SPI for the lowest consumption group (up to Rs17,732) increased by 0.70 per cent to 331.69 points from 329.39 points.
For consumption groups of Rs17,733-22,888; Rs22,889-29,517; Rs29,518-44,175; and above Rs44,175, the SPI increased by 0.75 per cent, 0.82 per cent, 0.94 per cent and 1.15 per cent, respectively.
During the week, prices of 15 items (29.41 per cent) increased, nine items (17.65 per cent) decreased, while 27 items (52.94 per cent) remained stable. The largest increase was observed in the price of LPG, which rose by 13.28 per cent, followed by eggs (2.23 per cent), chicken (2.13 per cent), pulse mash (1.74 per cent), mutton (1.54 per cent) and fresh milk (0.63 per cent). Prices of curd, beef, pulse masoor and clothing items such as georgette and shirting also increased.
On the other hand, prices of tomatoes declined by 6.03 per cent, garlic by 3.38 per cent, potatoes by 1.22 per cent, onions by 1.21 per cent and wheat flour by 0.92 per cent. Prices of bananas, mustard oil, firewood and sugar also decreased.
On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the SPI for the week under review rose by 9.12 per cent compared with the corresponding week last year.
During the period, the highest increases were recorded in the prices of LPG (53.69 per cent), diesel (29.94 per cent), gas charges for Q1 (29.85 per cent), petrol (26.17 per cent) and wheat flour (24.85 per cent). Prices of onions, chilli powder, mutton, beef, powdered milk, basmati broken rice and gur also increased.
Meanwhile, prices of potatoes declined by 49.65 per cent, pulse gram by 17.52 per cent, chicken by 16.08 per cent, powdered salt by 12.55 per cent, sugar by 11.48 per cent, pulse masoor by 11.32 per cent, garlic by 10.39 per cent and eggs by 7.27 per cent compared with the same period last year, the PBS added.
