Islamabad, November 3, 2025 – Pakistan’s headline inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose sharply to 6.2% year-on-year (YoY) in October 2025, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The latest data indicates mounting price pressures following a moderate rise in the previous month.
The CPI inflation climbed to 6.2% in October, up from 5.6% in September 2025, but still lower than 7.2% recorded in October 2024. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, inflation accelerated by 1.8%, compared to 2.0% in September and 1.2% a year earlier.
In urban areas, inflation stood at 6.0% YoY, slightly above 5.5% in September, while rural inflation remained higher at 6.6%, up from 5.8% in the previous month. The urban index saw a 1.5% MoM increase, whereas the rural index surged 2.3%, reflecting stronger inflationary pressure in non-urban regions.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks essential items, also showed an uptick—rising 4.8% YoY in October compared to 4.5% in September. On a monthly basis, the SPI increased 0.9%, suggesting renewed price momentum in food and household commodities.
Meanwhile, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) climbed 1.1% YoY, signaling higher input costs for producers and potential future inflationary spillover.
Core inflation—excluding food and energy—also picked up pace. The urban core inflation rose 7.5% YoY, while rural core inflation increased 8.4%, underscoring broad-based price pressures across the economy.
Economists say the latest figures reflect the impact of higher utility costs, supply chain disruptions, and rising global commodity prices—factors that may prompt the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to maintain a cautious monetary stance in upcoming policy reviews.