Pakistan’s short-term inflation saw a mild decline in the week ending May 21, 2026, as the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) dropped by 0.33 percent, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Sensitive Price Indicator tracks weekly changes in the prices of 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities. It is used as an early measure of inflation trends, helping assess short-term shifts in the cost of living and guiding policy response.
The latest figures show some relief in key household costs, particularly food items and energy-related charges, though price pressures remain uneven across different commodities.
Food and fuel bring some relief
The weekly decline was mainly driven by lower prices in several essential items. Chicken prices fell by 8.56 percent, while electricity charges for Q1 dropped by 6.08 percent. Garlic became cheaper by 3.53 percent, while pulses also saw small reductions, including moong down 1.45 percent and gram down 0.26 percent.
Fuel costs also eased slightly, with petrol and diesel each recording a 1.21 percent decline. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) slipped by 0.87 percent. Other minor decreases were seen in bananas, eggs and pulse mash.
Vegetables and staples push prices up
Despite the overall dip in SPI, several essential kitchen items became more expensive during the week.
Tomatoes saw the sharpest rise, jumping 7.17 percent, followed by onions at 6.08 percent. Wheat flour also increased by 1.84 percent. Potatoes went up by 0.87 percent, while cooked daal rose by 0.72 percent. Smaller increases were recorded in tea, cooking oil, curd, and basic clothing items such as lawn fabric and shirting.
Out of 51 monitored items, prices of 26 items rose, 11 fell, and 14 remained unchanged, showing a mixed market pattern rather than a broad-based shift.
Year-on-year inflation still high
On a yearly basis, inflation pressure remains significant. The SPI recorded a 14.47 percent increase compared to the same week last year.
Sharp increases were seen in onions, which surged 68.33 percent, followed by petrol at 62.24 percent and diesel at 60.90 percent. Wheat flour rose 59.45 percent, while LPG climbed 50.73 percent. Electricity charges also went up 43.30 percent over the year.
Food items such as tomatoes, mutton, beef, chilli powder, garlic and bananas also showed notable increases.
However, some relief was visible in select commodities. Potato prices fell 42.02 percent, eggs dropped 24.47 percent, and sugar declined 14.95 percent. Pulses such as gram, masoor and moong also recorded year-on-year decreases.
Fertiliser and cement show small weekly dip
The average price of a 50 kg bag of Sona Urea stood at Rs4,614, reflecting a 0.30 percent weekly decline, though still 3.20 percent higher than last year.
Cement prices also edged down slightly to Rs1,526 per 50 kg bag, down 0.27 percent from the previous week but up 7.62 percent compared to the same period last year.
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