Pakistan’s weekly inflation indicator edged down by 0.04% in the week ending October 15, but prices rose for 23 essential items, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) stood at 372.43, down from 372.58 the previous week. Compared with the same period last year, the index was 11.38% higher.
More essentials became expensive
Of the 51 items monitored, prices increased for 23, fell for seven and remained unchanged for 21.
Gram pulses rose 4.97%, a 20kg bag of wheat flour increased 3.36%, and live broiler chicken was up 3.31%. Tomatoes recorded the sharpest decline, falling 23.05%, followed by onions at 4.90% and bananas at 2.59%.
A 20kg flour bag cost an average of Rs2,946.72, about Rs96 more than the previous week. Chicken rose to Rs395.98 per kilogram, while tomatoes fell to Rs119.43.
Why the overall index fell
The SPI is a weighted measure, so a sharp decline in the price of one heavily weighted item can outweigh smaller increases elsewhere. That helps explain why the index slipped even though more goods became expensive.
PBS tracks 51 essentials across 50 markets in 17 cities. The figures are national survey averages, and prices at individual shops may differ.
The year-on-year SPI increase was 8.19% for the lowest expenditure group and 12.09% for the highest, according to the official report.
Source: PBS weekly SPI report, October 15, 2026.