Camouflaged inflation strangles daily living
Pulses, traditionally considered an affordable source of protein for low-income families, also became significantly more expensive. PHOTO: FILE
Despite official narratives pushing economic stabilization and declining inflation as paramount achievements of 2025, the everyday purchasing experiences of citizens throughout the past one year reflect a pitiful reality. While inflation may have slowed statistically, the cost of survival remained painfully high.
An investigative review by The Express Tribune showed that while the government officially maintained that inflation remained low, ordinary citizens continued to buy everyday necessities at inflated prices. Despite official figures showing the inflation rate at around 7.4 per cent, the cost of food, fuel and utilities remained persistently high. Imported petroleum prices, currency depreciation and flood-related disruptions further contributed to sustained inflationary pressure across the economy.
Even though the government announced a 10 per cent increase in salaries for public sector employees, critics argued that the relief was minimal and limited to a small segment of the population. Nearly 40 per cent of Pakistan’s population lives in extreme poverty, another 40 per cent struggles below the poverty line while only around 10 per cent enjoys income levels that provide financial stability. Official figures placing per capita income at approximately four dollars per day fail to reflect real purchasing power, which has been severely eroded by rising costs.
Muhammad Saleem, a government employee, revealed that the salary increase did little to offset rising household expenses, while private sector workers and daily wage earners received no relief at all. Saleem highlighted that household budgets continued to shrink as prices rose faster than incomes. “Inflation has reached a point where even Rs1,500 per day is not enough to prepare two meals for a family,” concurred Kiran Ejaz, a homemaker, whose experience reflects the struggle faced by millions of low to middle-income households across the country.
Economist Dr Qais Aslam explained that inflation in Pakistan was largely driven by demand-supply imbalances, rising import costs and repeated shocks to agricultural production. “Floods damaged crops and disrupted transportation, while reduced agricultural and industrial output further tightened supply. A slowdown in the rate of inflation does not mean prices have fallen; instead, prices have stabilized at historically high levels and continue to rise from that base,” said Dr Aslam.
Market data from 2025 showed that staple food items were more expensive than in 2024. Potatoes, which were previously sold for between Rs50 and Rs70 per kilogram, were commonly priced between Rs80 and Rs110. Onions increased from an average of Rs60 to Rs80 per kilogram to between Rs100 and Rs140, while tomatoes surged from Rs70 to Rs120 to as high as Rs150 to Rs250 per kilogram. Green chilies doubled in price and were sold for Rs250 to Rs350 per kilogram compared to Rs120 to Rs180 a year earlier. Garlic prices rose sharply too from Rs400 to Rs600 per kilogram in 2024 to between Rs800 and Rs1,200 in 2025.
Fruits, once a regular part of the middle-class diet, increasingly became luxury items. Apples that sold for around Rs200 to Rs250 per kilogram in 2024 were commonly priced between Rs350 and Rs500 in 2025. The price of bananas doubled, with a dozen costing up to Rs300 compared to Rs120 to Rs150 in the previous year. Oranges and grapes also witnessed sharp increases in prices, largely driven by higher fuel, electricity and transportation costs.
Pulses, traditionally considered an affordable source of protein for low-income families, also became significantly more expensive. The price of chickpea lentils rose from under Rs220 per kilogram to nearly Rs380, while masoor lentils increased to over Rs420 per kilogram. Moong lentils climbed from around Rs260 to Rs300 to between Rs450 to Rs550, while mash lentils reached as high as Rs650 per kilogram, placing basic nutrition beyond the reach of many households.
Dr Aslam identified rising petrol and electricity prices as the most critical drivers of inflation, along with the weakening rupee, import-led price increases, hoarding and profiteering. “Flood-related agricultural losses, climate disruptions, increased taxes and surcharges alongside weak monitoring due to the absence of effective local governments further compounded the problem,” noted Dr Aslam.