Weekly SPI inflation up 0.79pc

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index(SPI)-based inflation maintained an upward trend during the week ended May 7, 2026, rising by 0.79 percent mainly due to a hike in the prices of chicken by 12.82 percent, diesel by 5.10 percent, and wheat flour by 3.42 percent.

Weekly inflation data released here on Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said that an increase of 1.6 percent in petrol price was also observed.

The prices of curd went up 1.63percent, fresh milk 1.33percent, beef 0.65percent, tea prepared 0.53percent, mutton 0.50percent, potatoes 0.48percent, washing soap 0.12percent, and cigarettes 0.08percent.

On the other hand, on a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, the SPI went up by 1.18 percent during the week under review and touched 15.16 percent from 13.98 percent recorded a week ago.

READ MORE: SPI-based inflation rises 0.62pc WoW

On a YoY basis, major increases wereobserved in the prices of petrol (58.32percent), diesel (55.76percent), electricity charges for Q1 (52.58percent), wheat flour (50.65percent), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) (48.82percent), onions (41.97percent), mutton (16.10percent), chili powder (15.20percent), garlic (12.90percent), beef (12.65percent), powdered milk (10.53percent), and bananas (9.64percent).

According toPBS, on a week-on-week [WoW) basis, major reduction was observed in the prices of tomatoes, 7.08 percent, garlic,1.19percent, eggs, 1.22percent, LPG, 1.08percent, pulse masoor, 0.43percent, onions, 0.38percent, pulse gram, 0.36percent, Rice Irri 6/9, 0.30percent, and gur, 0.19 percent.

On the other hand, on a YoY basis,major reductions were observed in the prices of potatoes, 44.58 percent, pulse gram, 20.29percent, sugar, 13.76percent, salt powder, 13.26percent, pulse masoor, 11.74percent, eggs, 7.88percent, chicken, 1.80percent, and pulse moong, 1.60percent.

During the week, of 51 items of the SPI basket, the prices of 22 items, or 43.14 percent, witnessed an increase, the prices of 14 items, or 27.45 percent, recorded a decline, and the prices of 15 items, or 29.41 percent, remained stable.

On an annual basis, breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs 17,732 saw an increase of 12.14 percent, with SPI going up from 298.24 to 334.45 points. For the Rs 17,733-22,888 income group, SPI jumped to 15.02 percent, going up from 295.19 to 339.53 points.

Households earning Rs 22,889-29,517 SPI recorded an increase of 13.37 percent as it went up from 319.46 to 362.18 points, while the Rs 29,518-44,175 bracket recorded an increase of 13.34 percent from 310.22 to 351.60 points.

The highest income group, Rs 44,175 and above, SPI recorded an increase of 14.42 percent, jumping up from 313.08 to 359.47 points.

On a weekly basis, breaking down SPI by income groups, households with a monthly income of up to Rs 17,732 saw a 0.69 percent increase, with SPI jumping up from 332.16 to 334.45 points. For the Rs 17,733-22,888 income group, SPI increased by 0.77 percent, going up from 336.95 to 339.53 points.

Households earning Rs 22,889-29,517 recorded a 0.76 percent increase in SPI as it went up from 359.46 to 362.18 points, while the Rs 29,518-44,175 bracket saw SPI jumping up by 0.83 percent from 348.71 to 351.60 points. The highest income group, Rs 44,175 and above, recorded a 0.80 percent increase, taking SPI up from 356.61 to 359.47 points.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026