SPI Rises 1.29% as Prices Climb

Islamabad, September 5, 2025, 08:59 PM PKT — Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), has surged 1.29% for combined consumption groups for the week ending September 2, 2025, reaching 335.41 points from 331.14 points last week, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), with a 5.07% year-on-year rise. Based on the 2015-16=100 base year, the SPI tracks 51 essential items across 17 urban centers, with the lowest consumption group (up to Rs17,732) jumping 2.01% to 327.73 points, and other groups (Rs17,733–Rs22,888, Rs22,889–Rs29,517, Rs29,518–Rs44,175, above Rs44,175) rising 1.90%, 1.61%, 1.48%, and 0.99%, respectively.

Of 51 items, 23 (45.10%) saw price hikes, 4 (7.84%) dropped, and 24 (47.06%) held steady, with tomatoes (46.03%), wheat flour (25.41%), onions (8.57%), basmati rice broken (2.62%), garlic (2.04%), potatoes (1.38%), moong pulse (1.29%), bread (1.19%), LPG (0.88%), shirting (0.27%), long cloth (0.17%), and lawn printed (0.07%) leading gains. Price drops hit bananas (-3.86%), diesel (-0.91%), sugar (-0.13%), and mustard oil (-0.10%). Year-on-year, tomatoes (83.45%), ladies’ sandals (55.62%), wheat flour (30.27%), gas charges for Q1 (29.85%), and sugar (27.43%) soared, while onions (-47.00%), garlic (-25.50%), and potatoes (-19.25%) fell. Web context on price trends shows past spikes, while posts found on X reflect worry mixed with frustration—some note essentials cost, others demand relief. Critically, the narrative of “inflation control” may mask persistent pressures—web data hints at supply issues, and X sentiment suggests distrust in sustained relief, pointing to potential challenges.