By Moaaz Manzoor

Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), declined by 0.56 percent during the week ended June 4, 2026, mainly due to lower prices of chicken, garlic, diesel, petrol and some pulses, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The SPI, which tracks the prices of 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 urban centres, is used to gauge short-term inflation trends in the country.

According to PBS, chicken prices recorded the sharpest weekly decline, falling 9.48 percent during the week under review. Garlic prices decreased by 9.13 percent, while diesel and petrol prices fell by 7.01 percent and 6.80 percent, respectively.

Other items that recorded price declines included pulse gram, down 0.38 percent, pulse mash 0.34 percent, pulse moong 0.11 percent, mustard oil 0.04 percent, beef 0.02 percent and firewood 0.01 percent.

However, the overall decline in weekly inflation was partially offset by increases in several food and household items.

Onion prices recorded the highest weekly increase, rising 28.16 percent, followed by potatoes at 21.91 percent and tomatoes at 9.56 percent. Banana prices increased by 1.20 percent during the week.

Among other items, vegetable ghee (2.5kg) rose 0.91 percent, washing soap 0.68 percent, LPG 0.66 percent, cooking oil (5 litre) 0.64 percent, fresh milk 0.61 percent, wheat flour 0.59 percent and cigarettes 0.57 percent.

During the week, prices of 22 items in the 51-item SPI basket increased, 10 declined and 19 remained unchanged, indicating that price pressures persisted in several essential commodities despite the overall weekly decline.

PBS noted that the SPI for the week ended May 28, 2026, was postponed due to Eid holidays. Therefore, the latest weekly comparison reflects the change between the week ended June 4 and the previous reported week ended May 21.

On a year-on-year basis, weekly inflation increased by 14.75 percent compared with the corresponding week last year.

Among the major contributors to annual inflation were onions, which recorded an increase of 100.68 percent, followed by wheat flour at 59.88 percent and electricity charges for Q1 at 59.40 percent.

LPG prices were 57.09 percent higher than the same week last year, while petrol increased 50.60 percent and diesel 49.63 percent. Tomato prices rose 20.62 percent, mutton 15.86 percent, chilies powder 15.20 percent, beef 12.87 percent, bananas 9.35 percent and powdered milk 9.16 percent.

At the same time, several food items remained cheaper compared with last year. Potato prices declined by 38.44 percent, followed by eggs at 26.67 percent and pulse gram at 22.61 percent.

Sugar prices were 15.56 percent lower on a yearly basis, while salt powder declined 13.26 percent, chicken 12.84 percent, pulse masoor 12.50 percent and pulse moong 4.51 percent.

The PBS data further showed that inflation trends varied across expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest expenditure quintile increased by 0.32 percent during the week, while the second expenditure group recorded a marginal rise of 0.04 percent. However, inflation declined by 0.14 percent for the third expenditure group, 0.38 percent for the fourth group and 0.88 percent for the highest expenditure group.

On a yearly basis, inflation stood at 12.59 percent for the lowest expenditure group and 14.08 percent for the highest expenditure group. The second expenditure group recorded annual inflation of 15.26 percent, while the overall annual SPI inflation rate stood at 14.75 percent.

Credit: INP-WealthPk