Short-term inflation rises by 1.40pc

ISLAMABAD, Jul 17 (APP): The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation increased by 1.40 percent during the week ended on July 16, 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 357.61 points from 352.66 points recorded in the previous week. On a year-on-year basis, the SPI increased by 13.09 percent.

The weekly SPI, with base year 2015-16=100, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group (up to Rs 17,732) increased by 1.11 percent to 346.78 points from 342.98 points. Likewise, the SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,733–22,888, Rs 22,889–29,517, Rs 29,518–44,175 and above Rs 44,175 increased by 1.18 percent, 1.17 percent, 1.28 percent and 1.58 percent, respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 27 items (52.94 percent) increased, four items (7.84 percent) decreased, while 20 items (39.22 percent) remained unchanged. On a week-on-week basis, the prices of tomatoes witnessed the sharpest increase of 22.79 percent, followed by chicken 14.66 percent, LPG 12.46 percent, diesel 4.41 percent, petrol 4.40 percent, garlic 3.72 percent, eggs 2.15 percent, Tea Lipton 1.56 percent, onions 1.53 percent, potatoes 0.85 percent, tea prepared 0.42 percent and firewood 0.18 percent. On the other hand, prices of bananas declined by 0.80 percent, followed by pulse moong 0.70 percent, sugar 0.36 percent and pulse masoor 0.10 percent. On a year-on-year basis, prices of potatoes declined by 36.28 percent, followed by pulse gram 21.71 percent, sugar 21.10 percent, chicken 16.71 percent, salt powder 14.09 percent, pulse masoor 13.19 percent, eggs 12.42 percent and pulse moong 8.08 percent over the corresponding week of last year. Major annual increases were recorded in the prices of tomatoes by 210.18 percent, followed by onions 75.93 percent, wheat flour 71.81 percent, electricity charges for Q1 49.14 percent, LPG 42.50 percent, gas charges for Q1 29.85 percent, gents sponge chappal 16.69 percent, mutton 16.02 percent, chilies powder 15.20 percent, beef 13.60 percent, bananas 10.82 percent and bread 9.69 percent, according to the PBS.