Weekly inflation rises as chicken, onion prices climb across Pakistan 

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) in Pakistan recorded a modest weekly inflation of 0.17 percent for the week ending October 09, 2025, largely driven by rising prices of chicken, onions, and wheat flour, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday. 

PBS reported that out of 51 essential items monitored across 17 cities, prices of 21 items increased, six fell, while 24 remained unchanged. The highest weekly rises were seen in chicken, which jumped 8.92 percent, onions at 7.47 percent, and wheat flour by 5.74 percent. Other items recording notable increases included eggs, gur, garlic, and vegetable ghee. 

In contrast, tomatoes recorded the steepest drop, falling 11.34 percent, followed by bananas, potatoes, LPG, pulse gram, and mustard oil. 

Year-on-year inflation shows wider swings 

Over the past year, the SPI rose 4.34 percent, with some commodities experiencing sharp spikes. Tomatoes more than doubled in price, up 109.82 percent, while ladies’ sandals increased 55.62 percent, sugar 36.08 percent, and gas charges 29.85 percent. On the other hand, onions, garlic, and electricity charges declined significantly over the same period. 

Middle-income households feel the pinch 

Analysis of SPI by income groups showed inflationary pressures across all households, with middle and upper-middle-income groups bearing the brunt. 

Households in the lowest income quintile, earning up to Rs17,732 per month, faced a 0.14 percent weekly increase and 4.14 percent year-on-year inflation. The second quintile, with monthly expenditures between Rs17,733 and Rs22,888, saw a 0.17 percent weekly rise, reaching 4.31 percent annually. 

Middle-income groups recorded the highest weekly increases, with the third quintile up 0.18 percent and the fourth up 0.20 percent, pushing annual inflation to 5.10 and 5.15 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest expenditure group, spending over Rs44,175 monthly, experienced a softer weekly rise of 0.16 percent and annual increase of 3.59 percent. 

Commodity prices mixed 

On the supply side, the average price of Sona urea stood at Rs4,390 per 50 kg bag, up 0.08 percent from last week but 4.32 percent lower than last year. Cement prices fell to Rs1,395 per 50 kg bag, down 0.6 percent from the previous week and 4.10 percent lower than last year. 

PBS calculates short-term inflation weekly using the SPI, which tracks price movements of essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities. The measure helps provide an early snapshot of price trends affecting households across the country. 

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