SPI-Inflation slightly up by 0.05pc

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28 (APP):The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation slightly increased by 0.05 percent during the week ended on August 27, 2026, for the combined consumption group, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.

According to PBS data, the SPI for the week under review rose to 361.07 points from 360.90 points recorded in the previous week. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 9.04 percent.

The weekly SPI, with base year 2015-16=100, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

However, the SPI for the lowest consumption group (up to Rs 17,732) decreased by 0.17 percent to 349.42 points from 350.03 points.

Likewise, the SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,733–22,888, Rs 22,889–29,517, and Rs 29,518–44,175 decreased by 0.10 percent, 0.08 percent, and 0.07 percent respectively, while the SPI for the group above Rs 44,175 increased by 0.13 percent.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 20 items (39.22 percent) increased, 11 items (21.56 percent) decreased, while 20 items (39.22 percent) remained unchanged.

On a week-on-week basis, the items that witnessed an increase in prices included LPG which rose by 3.46 percent, followed by diesel 2.44 percent, electricity for Q1 20.6 percent, petrol 1.71 percent, toilet soap 0.93 percent, pulse gram 0.88 percent, wheat flour 0.39 percent, eggs 0.34 percent, pulse masoor and mustard oil 0.30 percent each, tea prepared 0.20 percent, pulse mash 0.17 percent, cigarettes 0.16 percent, lawn printed 0.09 percent, and georgette, vegetable ghee, and beef 0.06 percent each.

On the other hand, the prices of tomatoes witnessed a decrease of 18.65 percent, followed by chicken 4.41 percent, onions 2.87 percent, bananas 2.80 percent, garlic 1.02 percent, rice IRRI-6/9 0.42 percent, rice basmati broken 0.41 percent and potatoes 0.39 percent.

On a year-on-year basis, prices of potatoes declined by 31.33 percent, followed by chicken 23.87 percent, sugar 19.33 percent, eggs 17.97 percent, salt powder 13.96 percent, pulse gram 12.01 percent, pulse masoor 11.77 percent, gur 6.21 percent.

Major annual increases were recorded in the prices of onions by 125.86 percent, followed by LPG 55.66 percent, wheat flour 45.28 percent, tomatoes 36.69 percent, diesel 36.33 percent, petrol 29.84 percent, electricity charges for Q1 25.24 percent, chilies powder 16.37 percent, mutton 16.01 percent, bananas 14.50 percent, beef 13.61 percent, and plain bread 9.37 percent, according to the PBS.