Weekly SPI increases by 0.12%

October 31, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan’s short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), inched up by 0.12% for the week ended October 30, 2025, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The slight increase in weekly inflation was mainly driven by a sharp rise in onion prices, which soared 59.54%, followed by eggs (3.24%), chicken (2.40%), garlic (1.72%), and firewood (0.93%). Prices of other essential food items including cooking oil (0.64%), vegetable ghee (0.40%), wheat flour (0.36%), and powdered milk (0.22%) also rose during the week.

Conversely, the report highlighted notable declines in tomato prices, which plunged 47.02%, along with pulse gram (-1.66%), pulse masoor (-1.20%), pulse moong (-0.65%), LPG (-0.60%), gur (-0.56%), and potatoes (-0.23%).

Out of the 51 essential items monitored, 14 (27.45%) items recorded price increases, 10 (19.61%) items saw a decrease, while 27 (52.94%) remained unchanged.

On an annual basis, the SPI showed a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 5.05% compared to the same week last year. The PBS attributed the rise primarily to higher prices of ladies’ sandals (55.62%), sugar (42.44%), tomatoes (31.56%), gas charges for Q1 (29.85%), onions (19.98%), and wheat flour (19.23%).

However, prices of garlic (-30.74%), pulse gram (-29.12%), electricity charges for Q1 (-26.26%), potatoes (-20.07%), and tea (-17.93%) registered notable year-on-year declines.

Across income groups, the SPI showed a mixed trend, with the lowest expenditure quintile experiencing a 0.28% weekly increase and a 6.14% annual rise, while the highest income group saw a modest 0.08% weekly gain and a 4.20% yearly increase.

The average price of Sona urea stood at Rs4,370 per 50 kg bag, same from last week’s price, and a 4.44% decrease from last year.

Meanwhile, the average Cement price fell to Rs1,390 per 50 kg bag, which is 0.22% lower than the previous week, and 3.87% lower than prices last year.

The SPI, which tracks price movements of 51 essential commodities from 50 markets across 17 cities, serves as a key barometer of short-term inflation trends in Pakistan.

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