The weekly inflation in Pakistan rose by 0.37 per cent during the week ending March 5, 2026, mainly due to increased prices of chicken, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petrol.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) is calculated weekly to monitor short-term price movements of essential commodities and help authorities review the overall price situation across the country.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the indicator tracks 51 essential items, with price data collected from 50 markets located in 17 different cities across Pakistan.
Food and Fuel Prices Rise This Week
Food and energy prices pushed weekly inflation higher, with chicken recording the largest increase during the week and becoming the biggest contributor to the overall rise in SPI.
Energy costs also increased during the week, with liquefied petroleum gas prices rising 5.61 per cent, petrol increasing 3.06 per cent, and diesel climbing 1.84 per cent.
Several other food items also recorded price increases, including bananas, garlic, beef, mutton, and pulse mash, while mustard oil, gur, and printed lawn fabric showed smaller weekly rises.
| Item | Price Increase |
|---|---|
| Chicken | 10.46% |
| LPG | 5.61% |
| Petrol | 3.06% |
| Diesel | 1.84% |
| Bananas | 3.85% |
| Garlic | 1.23% |
| Beef | 0.66% |
| Mutton | 0.65% |
| Pulse Mash | 0.51% |
Some Food Prices Fall
Despite the overall increase in weekly inflation, prices of several essential food items declined, helping ease the overall rise recorded in the Sensitive Price Indicator during the latest reporting period.
Tomatoes recorded the largest weekly drop, while eggs, onions, potatoes, and wheat flour also became cheaper, with a number of pulses and cooking oil showing slight declines.
| Item | Price Change |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes | -10.04% |
| Eggs | -8.13% |
| Onions | -6.08% |
| Potatoes | -5.09% |
| Wheat Flour | -2.40% |
Overall Price Movement (SPI Basket)
| Category | Number of Items |
|---|---|
| Prices Increased | 13 |
| Prices Decreased | 11 |
| Prices Unchanged | 27 |
| Total Items Tracked | 51 |
Prices Compared With Last Year
On a year-on-year basis, the Sensitive Price Indicator increased by 4.70 per cent compared with the same week last year, indicating moderate inflation in essential commodities.
Major annual increases were recorded in gas charges, wheat flour, electricity, LPG and chili powder, while potatoes, onions, eggs, garlic and chicken registered significant price declines.
Items With Highest Annual Price Increase
| Item | Annual Change |
|---|---|
| Gas Charges | +29.85% |
| Wheat Flour | +26.13% |
| Electricity Charges | +17.33% |
| LPG | +16.89% |
| Chili Powder | +15.20% |
Items With Major Annual Price Decline
| Item | Annual Change |
|---|---|
| Potatoes | -53.76% |
| Onions | -26.10% |
| Eggs | -24.93% |
| Garlic | -22.25% |
| Chicken | -21.70% |
Inflation Effects on Different Income Groups
he weekly rise in inflation affected households differently, with the highest-spending group seeing a 0.53 per cent increase while the lowest-income households experienced no change during the same period.
Yearly inflation pressures were stronger for lower-income households, with the second-lowest consumption quintile recording the highest annual increase of 5.95 per cent compared with a 3.58 per cent rise for the wealthiest group.
The data highlights that while overall inflation remains moderate compared with previous years, short-term fluctuations continue due to volatility in food and energy prices across the country.
These variations indicate that lower-income households remain more vulnerable to price shocks, while higher-income groups experience smaller relative impacts from weekly and yearly changes in essential commodity prices.
