Lower prices of tomatoes, chicken and electricity offset increases in petrol, diesel and essential food items during the week ended July 30.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), declined by 0.91% during the week ended July 30, 2026, despite a sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The PBS attributed the decline primarily to lower prices of tomatoes, chicken and electricity charges for the lowest-income households, which more than offset increases in fuel prices and several essential food items.

The SPI monitors the prices of 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities and is compiled weekly to track short-term inflation trends.

Weekly inflation falls across all income groups

The PBS reported that weekly inflation declined across all consumption quintiles, with the sharpest decrease recorded among lower-income households.

The lowest-income group (Q1) registered a 1.19% weekly decline, followed by:

• Q2: 1.37%

• Q3: 0.97%

• Q4: 0.81%

• Q5: 0.68%

Overall, the combined Sensitive Price Indicator fell by 0.91% compared with the previous week.

Despite the weekly improvement, annual inflation remained elevated. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 9.05%, with inflation ranging between 8.60% and 9.70% across different income groups.

Tomatoes and chicken provide relief

The largest weekly price declines were recorded in perishable food items and electricity charges.

According to the PBS, the biggest decreases were:

• Tomatoes: 22.96%

• Chicken: 11.20%

• Electricity charges for Q1 consumers: 9.06%

• Bananas: 0.70%

• Sugar: 0.16%

• Pulse moong: 0.15%

These reductions helped cushion the impact of rising fuel and food prices on the overall inflation index.

Fuel prices among biggest weekly gainers

Although weekly inflation eased overall, several key commodities recorded price increases during the week.

The largest weekly increases included:

• Onions: 7.62%

• Diesel: 4.17%

• Eggs: 3.16%

• Petrol: 2.46%

• Wheat flour: 2.00%

• Potatoes: 1.93%

• LPG: 1.90%

• Pulse gram: 1.44%

• Vegetable ghee (2.5kg): 0.71%

• Pulse mash: 0.69%

• Pulse masoor: 0.64%

• Firewood: 0.15%

Out of the 51 commodities included in the SPI basket, prices of 27 items (52.94%) increased, six items (11.77%) declined, while 18 items (35.29%) remained unchanged during the week.

Annual inflation remains elevated

On a year-on-year basis, tomatoes recorded the sharpest increase, rising 228.71%, followed by onions (95.36%), wheat flour (78.65%), LPG (51.76%), diesel (37.42%) and petrol (23.28%).

Other notable annual increases were recorded in:

• Gents’ sponge chappals: 16.69%

• Mutton: 16.06%

• Chilli powder: 15.20%

• Bananas: 14.69%

• Beef: 13.44%

• Plain bread: 9.69%

Meanwhile, the largest annual price declines were observed in:

• Potatoes: 30.89%

• Pulse gram: 19.89%

• Chicken: 19.56%

• Sugar: 17.48%

• Salt powder: 14.09%

• Pulse masoor: 12.80%

• Eggs: 8.38%

• Pulse moong: 7.38%

The latest SPI data suggests that while falling prices of perishable food items and lower electricity charges provided short-term relief to consumers, higher fuel prices, wheat flour and cooking fuel continue to exert upward pressure on household budgets and overall inflation.