PBS knowledge reveals short-term reduction from meals and gasoline costs, however value pressures persist
KARACHI:
Pakistan’s weekly Delicate Value Indicator (SPI) recorded a year-on-year improve of two.41%, highlighting persistent strain on family budgets regardless of short-term easing in some important meals and gasoline costs, based on the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
PBS knowledge for the week ended January 1, 2026 reveals the SPI declined 0.67% on a week-on-week foundation, reflecting non permanent reduction from falling costs of chosen perishables. Nonetheless, the broader annual pattern continues to level to structural value pressures for customers, significantly low- and middle-income households. The SPI is calculated weekly on the idea of costs of 51 important commodities collected from 50 markets throughout 17 city centres, making it a key barometer of short-term inflation tendencies.
On a weekly foundation, the decline was largely pushed by sharp reductions in costs of onions, down 11.84%, potatoes, down 10.21%, eggs, down 6.25%, and petroleum merchandise, together with petrol, down 3.89%, and high-speed diesel, down 3.20%. Sugar, pulses, LPG and gur additionally posted noticeable week-on-week declines. This reduction was partly offset by will increase in hen costs, up 2.37%, wheat flour, up 1.88%, tomatoes, up 1.72%, and bananas, up 1.13%, underscoring continued volatility in meals costs.
The year-on-year image stays extra regarding for households. PBS knowledge reveals fuel fees for the primary quarter surged by almost 30%, whereas wheat flour costs have been nearly 25% greater in contrast with the identical interval final 12 months. Different staples, together with beef, up 12.95%, sugar, up 11.90%, bananas, up 10.63%, and powdered milk, up 9.51%, additionally recorded double-digit or close to double-digit annual will increase. Non-food necessities, together with firewood, garden cloth and shirting, additional added to the rising value of dwelling.
On the identical time, some commodities offered partial reduction on an annual foundation, with steep declines recorded in tomatoes, down over 70%, potatoes, down 52%, onions, down 40%, and chosen pulses. Regardless of these declines, analysts observe the profit is usually uneven and seasonal, limiting its means to ease family monetary stress over the long run.
Disaggregated knowledge by expenditure quintiles reveals the bottom earnings group skilled a 1.24% year-on-year improve, whereas middle-income teams recorded will increase of round 2.5%, reinforcing considerations that inflationary pressures stay embedded.
