Food prices keep inflation up

SPI shows 4.52% YoY increase — eggs, tomatoes, wheat flour lead rise; WoW declines 0.03%

KARACHI:

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), a weekly gauge of short-term inflation in Pakistan, recorded a 4.52% year-on-year (YoY) increase for the week ended January 29, 2026, reflecting persistent upward pressure on essential commodities across the country.

Despite the annual rise, the SPI witnessed a marginal weekly decline of 0.03%, indicating some short-term relief in the prices of key items. According to official data, the combined week-on-week (WoW) change across all consumption quintiles remained largely flat, with slight decreases observed in most categories except for the highest consumption quintile, which recorded a marginal increase of 0.02%.

The weekly analysis highlighted notable price corrections in several staple items. Potatoes dropped sharply by 7.81%, followed by onions at 6.66%, salt powder at 1.36% and wheat flour at 1.17%. Other items registering minor decreases included pulse masoor (0.75%), eggs (0.30%), gur (0.24%) and basmati broken rice (0.08%). Conversely, certain essential goods and commodities saw price upticks during the week. Tomatoes led the gains with a 7.53% surge, followed by chicken at 3.25% and bananas at 3.07%. Household energy items such as LPG rose by 1.56%, while pulse mash and pulse gram increased by 1.49% and 1.31%, respectively. Overall, of the 51 items monitored, 18, or 35.29%, recorded price increases, nine, or 17.65%, experienced declines, while 24, or 47.06%, remained unchanged.

The YoY SPI data reflect broader inflationary trends across essential commodities. Among the most significant annual price increases were eggs (42.85%), tomatoes (41.14%) and wheat flour (38.29%). The mixed weekly movement underscores seasonal fluctuations in perishable items and short-term market corrections, while the YoY increase signals persistent inflationary pressures on essential commodities, affecting household budgets.