Weekly inflation heats up in Pakistan as prices soar 6.44% YoY

Inflation Pakistan

Islamabad, March 12, 2026: Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), climbed 6.44% year-on-year for the week ending March 11, 2026, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Thursday. The SPI tracks short-term price movements of essential commodities, offering a snapshot of cost pressures faced by households and businesses.

The SPI monitors 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities of Pakistan. The week-on-week SPI increase stood at 1.89%, reflecting rising prices in key commodities and fuel products.

Weekly SPI Analysis – March 11, 2026

Consumption QuintileWeek-on-Week Change (%)Year-on-Year Change (%)
Q10.665.16
Q20.946.77
Q31.125.90
Q41.505.49
Q52.495.90
Combined1.896.44

Key Weekly Price Movements

Rising Prices: Petrol (+20.60%), Diesel (+19.54%), LPG (+12.13%), Onions (+9.63%), Bananas (+1.44%), Wheat Flour (+1.28%), Chicken (+0.66%), Pulse Mash (+0.55%), Firewood (+0.38%).

Declining Prices: Tomatoes (-3.66%), Potatoes (-2.86%), Garlic (-0.42%), Rice IRRI-6/9 & Pulse Masoor (-0.19%), Mustard Oil (-0.16%), Pulse Moong (-0.12%), Sugar (-0.09%).

During the week, 14 items (27.45%) saw price increases, 9 items (17.65%) declined, and 28 items (54.90%) remained stable.

Year-on-Year Highlights

The annual trend shows major increases in Diesel (+29.94%), Gas Charges Q1 (+29.85%), LPG (+29.21%), Wheat Flour (+27.75%), Petrol (+25.75%), Chilies Powder (+15.20%), Beef (+12.00%), Powdered Milk (+10.10%), and Mutton (+9.61%). Conversely, notable declines were seen in Potatoes (-51.92%), Chicken (-25.92%), Eggs (-23.76%), Tomatoes (-23.02%), Pulse Gram (-19.76%), Garlic (-18.25%), Salt Powder (-12.52%), and Sugar (-12.02%).

Analysts say rising fuel costs, essential commodity price surges, and supply-side challenges are driving weekly inflation, adding further pressure on household budgets across Pakistan.