Inflation continued its upward trend for the third straight week, driven by sharp increases in the prices of essential food items, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
During the week ending October 17, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)—which tracks the prices of 51 essential commodities—rose by 0.49 percent, pushing the annual inflation rate to 4.57 percent.
The PBS report revealed that prices of 24 key items went up, 8 declined, while 19 remained unchanged, reflecting persistent inflationary pressures on household budgets.
The steepest rise was recorded in the prices of tomatoes, onions, and eggs, with tomatoes becoming 33 percent more expensive within a week.
The average price of tomatoes climbed to Rs 328 per kilogram, compared to Rs 246 the previous week. In some urban centers, tomatoes were sold for as high as Rs 420 per kg, while the lowest recorded price stood at Rs 170 per kg.
Similarly, onions registered a 9 percent increase, while the price of eggs rose by over 2 percent. The cost of wheat flour, garlic, potatoes, ghee, firewood, and LPG also moved upward during the week.
