Pakistan’s inflationary pressure strengthened further as the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) rose 1.93% week-on-week for the week ending April 9, 2026, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The SPI, which tracks price movement of essential commodities across income groups, showed increases across all segments. The highest-income group recorded a 2.56% rise, while the lowest-income group saw a 1.07% increase.

According to Topline Securities, the latest reading marks a 74-week high, equivalent to around 17 months or 1.4 years, reflecting sustained inflationary pressure.

The weekly increase was led by food prices. Tomatoes rose 9.86%, potatoes 4.13%, and onions 3.84%. Egg prices increased 2.67%, while beef and mutton rose 1.07% and 1.05% respectively. Pulse masoor gained 1.08%. Out of 51 monitored items, 19 increased, 16 declined, and 16 remained unchanged.

Some relief came from select items. Garlic fell 7.58%, bananas 3.39%, and chicken 1.05%. Wheat flour dropped 0.73%, while LPG and gur also posted slight declines. However, these reductions were not enough to offset broader increases in essentials.

On a year-on-year basis, inflation remains more severe, driven largely by energy costs. Gas charges are up over 101%, diesel more than 101%, and petrol 65.86%. Among food items, onions are up 37.80% and wheat flour 10.30%. Some commodities have declined annually, including tomatoes (15.20%), potatoes (6.32%), and pulse gram (18.33%), but overall relief remains limited.

The data indicates persistent, broad-based inflation, with price increases affecting all income groups and continuing pressure on household budgets.