ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended on October 16, 2026 recorded a slight reduction of 0.04 percent owing to a reduction in the prices of tomatoes that fell by 23.05percent, onions by 4.90percent, and bananas by 2.59percent.
The SPI data released here on Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) showed that the prices of other items which witnessed a reduction included petrol that declined by 0.70percent, rice basmati broken by 0.65percent, sugar by 0.62percent, and gur by 0.36percent.
According to PBS data during the week under review, the prices of following items witnessed an increase: Pulse gram, 4.97 percent, wheat flour, 3.36percent, chicken, 3.31percent, eggs, 0.99percent, pulse mash, 0.98percent, pulse masoor, 0.95percent, firewood, 0.69percent, shirting, 0.58percent, cooked daal, 0.55percent, diesel, 0.47percent, Liqufied Petroleum Gas (LPG), 0.42percent and prepared tea, 0.28percent.
READ MORE: Weekly SPI inflation rises 0.57pc
During the week, of 51 items, the prices of 23 items, which constitute 45.10 percent of the SPI basket, recorded an increase; the prices of 7 items, or 13.72 percent of the basket, recorded a reduction; and the prices of 21 items, or 41.18 percent of the basket, remained stable.
The Year on Year (YoY) trend depicts an increase of 11.38 percent mainly driven by sharp escalation in the prices of onions, which surged by 75.19 percent, LPG by 68.95 percent, electricity for Q1 by 58.59 percent, petrol by 49.60 percent, diesel by 43.98 percent), wheat flour by 35.13 percent, chili powder by 15.55 percent, mutton by 14.90 percent, beef by 12.27 percent, chicken by 20.77 percent, bread plain by 9.02 percent and prepared tea by 8.38 percent.
While decrease is observed in the prices of Tomatoes (63.65 percent), Potatoes (39.93 percent), Sugar (23.20 percent), Eggs (19.83 percent), Salt Powder (14.86 percent), PulseMasoor (8.97 percent), Gur (8.92 percent) and Pulse Moong (7.83 percent).
On YoY basis major reduction was observed in the prices of tomatoes, which decreased by63.65 percent, potatoes by 39.93 percent, sugar by 23.20 percent, eggs by 19.83 percent, salt powder by14.86 percent, pulse masoorby 8.97 percent, gurby 8.92 percent, and pulse moong by 8.92 percent.
Breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs17,732 registered an increase of 0.06 percent, with SPI went down from 356.56 to 56.35 points. For the Rs17,733-22,888 income group, the SPI went down by 0.04 percent, going down from 360.08 to 359.94 points.
SPI for households with monthly earnings of Rs22,889-29,517 registered an increase of 0.01 percent, going down from 380.67 to 380.62 points, while the Rs29,518-44,175 bracket SPI went down by 0.02 percent going down from 368.09 to 368.03 points. The highest income group, Rs44,175 and above, recorded a reduction of 0.08 percent, taking SPI down from 372.43 to 372.22 points. The combined SPI jumped down from 372.58 points to 372.43 points, reflecting an overall increase of 0.04 percent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026