2 min read
Pakistan’s weekly inflation has edged up ahead of Ramazan as food prices increased, ending a three-week declining trend. Official data shows rising vegetable and fuel costs have begun to put fresh pressure on household budgets just weeks before the holy month.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) recorded a 0.09 percent week-on-week increase for the week ending February 4, 2026. The SPI index rose to 333.79 points, reflecting higher prices of essential food items.
The increase was mainly driven by a sharp rise in tomato prices, followed by onions, bananas, garlic, and diesel. Prices of pulses, mustard oil, and mutton also moved upward during the week.
Despite the overall rise, some relief was recorded as prices of wheat flour, eggs, masoor dal, LPG, gur, cooking oil, and IRRI rice declined. Out of 51 essential items, prices of 12 increased, 13 decreased, while 26 remained unchanged.
On a yearly basis, weekly inflation stood at 4.84 percent. Inflation eased slightly for the lowest income group, but increased for most other income brackets, showing uneven pressure across households.
Economists say weekly inflation may remain volatile in the coming weeks as demand for food items typically rises before Ramazan.
“Vegetable prices usually increase ahead of Ramazan, which could keep weekly inflation elevated despite stability in other essentials,” analysts noted.
