By Moaaz Manzoor

Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator, rose 1.40% during the week ended July 16, 2026, as sharp increases in tomato, chicken, LPG and fuel prices reversed the 0.45% decline recorded in the preceding week.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the combined SPI increased to 357.61 during the week under review from 352.66 in the week ended July 9. On a year-on-year basis, weekly inflation accelerated to 13.09%, compared with 11.94% in the previous week.

The SPI, based on 2015-16 prices, tracks 51 essential commodities collected from 50 markets in 17 urban centres and is used to measure short-term movements in consumer prices.

Tomatoes recorded the largest weekly increase, rising 22.79%, followed by chicken at 14.66% and the price of an 11.67-kilogram LPG cylinder at 12.46%.

Energy prices also contributed to the weekly increase. High-speed diesel became 4.41% more expensive, while petrol prices rose 4.40%.

Among other food items, garlic prices increased 3.72%, eggs 2.15%, Lipton tea 1.56%, onions 1.53% and potatoes 0.85%. Prepared tea became 0.42% more expensive, while firewood prices edged up 0.18%.

Only four of the 51 commodities included in the SPI basket became cheaper during the week. Banana prices declined 0.80%, followed by pulse moong at 0.70%, sugar at 0.36% and pulse masoor at 0.10%.

Overall, prices of 27 commodities, representing 52.94% of the basket, increased during the week. Four items, or 7.84%, recorded declines, while the prices of the remaining 20 commodities, accounting for 39.22% of the basket, remained unchanged.

Annual price pressures were considerably stronger for several essential food and energy items.

Tomato prices were 210.18% higher in the week ended July 16 than in the corresponding week of 2025. Onion prices increased 75.93% year on year, while wheat flour became 71.81% more expensive.

Electricity charges for the first consumption quintile were 49.14% higher than a year earlier. LPG prices rose 42.50%, while gas charges for the first quintile increased 29.85%.

Other notable annual increases were recorded in the prices of gents’ sponge chappals at 16.69%, mutton at 16.02%, chilli powder at 15.20%, beef at 13.60%, bananas at 10.82% and plain bread at 9.69%.

Several commodities, however, remained cheaper than in the corresponding week of 2025. Potato prices declined 36.28%, while pulse gram became 21.71% cheaper.

Sugar prices were down 21.10% year on year, followed by chicken at 16.71%, salt powder at 14.09%, pulse masoor at 13.19%, eggs at 12.42% and pulse moong at 8.08%.

Weekly inflation increased across all five expenditure groups. The rise ranged from 1.11% for households spending up to Rs17,732 per month to 1.58% for the highest expenditure group, comprising households spending more than Rs44,175.

On a year-on-year basis, the second expenditure group, covering monthly spending between Rs17,733 and Rs22,888, faced the highest inflation rate of 15.57%.

Annual inflation stood at 13.63% for the lowest expenditure group, 13.21% for the third group and 12.30% for the fourth group. The highest expenditure group recorded the lowest annual rate at 11.32%.

The latest PBS data show that the weekly inflation rebound was driven mainly by sharp increases in fresh food, LPG and motor-fuel prices, while annual pressure remained concentrated in tomatoes, onions, wheat flour and household energy charges.

Credit: INP-WealthPk