Slight surge in SPI-based inflation

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation has surged by 0. 16 percent during the week ending June 11, 2026, largely due to notable upward trends in the prices of tomatoes, 35. 39 percent; Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), 11. 03 percent, and potatoes, 1. 04 percent, according to weekly data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday. The PBS reported hikes in the prices of cigarettes (0. 46 percent), Vegetable Ghee 2. 5 kg (0. 40 percent), and cooking oil 5 Litre (0. 27 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (0. 24 percent), milk fresh (0. 21 percent), and ground bread (0. 10 percent) each. On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the SPI recorded an increase of 15. 06 percent, driven by sharp rises in the prices of onions (85. 43 percent), LPG (74. 45 percent), wheat flour (59. 62 percent), electricity charges for Q1 (59. 40 percent), diesel (49. 63 percent), petrol (49. 03 percent), tomatoes (36. 40 percent), mutton (15. 73 percent), chilies powder (15. 20 percent), beef (12. 87 percent), garlic (12. 41 percent) and bread (8. 66 percent). According to the PBS, on a week-on-week basis, major increases were observed in the prices of eggs (9. 62 percent), chicken (5. 73 percent), onions (4. 61 percent), petrol (1. 04 percent), garlic (0. 98 percent), pulse mash (0. 23 percent), wheat flour (0. 21 percent), bananas (0. 19 percent) and mustard oil (0. 17 percent). During the week, of 51 items in the SPI basket, the prices of 12 items (23. 53 percent) increased, 11 items (19. 61 percent) recorded a decline, and 28 items (54. 90 percent) remained unchanged. On a YoY basis, major decreases were observed in the prices of potatoes (42. 79 percent), eggs (34. 17 percent), pulse gram (22. 56 percent), sugar (15. 71 percent), salt powder (13. 26 percent), pulse masoor (12. 07 percent), chicken (7. 35 percent), and pulse moong (4. 66 percent). On an annual basis, breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs 17, 732 saw an increase of 12. 63 percent, with SPI rising from 299. 44 to 337. 25 points. For the Rs17, 733 – 22, 888 income group, SPI increased by 15. 36 percent, from 295. 20 to 340. 54 points. Households earning Rs22, 889–29, 517 recorded a 13. 52 percent rise, with SPI moving from 319. 72 to 362. 94 points, while the Rs29, 518–44, 175 brackets saw an increase of 13. 25 percent, from 310. 78 to 351. 61 points. The highest income group, Rs44, 175 and above, experienced a 14. 51 percent increase, with SPI climbing from 312. 29 to 357. 60 points. On a weekly basis, breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs17, 732 saw a 0. 19 percent increase, with SPI going up from 336. 62 to 337. 25 points. For the Rs17, 733 – 22, 888 income group, SPI went up by 0. 04 percent, from 340. 12 to 340. 54 points. Households earning Rs 22, 889 – 29, 517 recorded a 0. 11 percent increase, with SPI going up from 362. 54 to 362. 94 points, while the Rs29, 518 – 44, 175 bracket saw a 0. 08 percent increase, from 351. 34 to 351. 61 points. The highest income group, Rs44, 175 and above, experienced a 0. 20 percent increase, taking SPI up from 356. 88 to 357. 60 points. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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