Pakistan’s weekly inflation showed a marginal decrease for the week ending January 29, 2026, with the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) falling by 0.03 percent, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The small drop was largely driven by significant declines in key staples. Potato prices fell sharply by 7.81 percent, onions by 6.66 percent, wheat flour by 1.17 percent, and salt powder by 1.36 percent. Other items that contributed to the decline included pulses, eggs, gur, and basmati broken rice.
However, not all prices moved downwards. The PBS reported increases in essentials such as tomatoes, which rose 7.53 percent, chicken (3.25 percent), bananas (3.07 percent), and LPG (1.56 percent).
Other notable rises included pulses, firewood, vegetable ghee, shirting fabric, and cigarettes. Overall, of the 51 items tracked, prices of 18 items rose, nine fell, and 24 remained stable during the week.
On a yearly basis, the SPI reflected a 4.52 percent increase compared to the same week last year. Items showing the steepest annual rises included eggs (42.85 percent), tomatoes (41.14 percent), wheat flour (38.29 percent), and gas charges for the first quarter (29.85 percent).
Prices of chilies powder, beef, firewood, LPG, powdered milk, gur, shirting, and bananas also increased noticeably over the year.
Conversely, annual prices fell for potatoes (47.35 percent), garlic (35.89 percent), onions (31.40 percent), pulses, tea, chicken, salt powder, diesel, and petrol.
Other commodities saw mixed movements. The average price of Sona urea stood at Rs4,396 per 50 kg bag, up 1.22 percent from last week but down 2.29 percent compared to last year. Cement prices rose slightly to Rs1,406 per 50 kg bag, up 0.14 percent week-on-week and 2.46 percent higher than last year.
The SPI tracks price movements of 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities and serves as an important gauge of short-term inflation trends in Pakistan. Calculated weekly, it allows policymakers to monitor price shifts in near real-time and respond to fluctuations in essential goods.
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