Food, energy prices push SPI up 4.23pc

ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), rose 4.23 per cent year-on-year in the week ending Feb 26, reflecting higher retail prices of fruits and energy products in the domestic market.

SPI-based inflation has risen for 30 consecutive weeks, highlighting sustained pressure on household budgets. The prolonged upward trend has been largely driven by sharp increases in the prices of vegetables and other perishable items, as well as higher electricity and petrol prices. On a week-on-week basis, however, the SPI recorded a marginal decline of 0.54pc, according to official data released on Friday.

The items, whose prices increased the most over the previous week included bananas (4.49pc), shirting (1.36pc), LPG (0.86pc), garlic (0.81pc), long cloth (0.70pc), mutton (0.63pc), pulse masoor (0.47pc), lawn printed (0.44pc), pulse mash (0.40pc), powdered milk (0.26pc) and curd & beef (0.25pc) each.

The items whose prices declined week-on-week included tomatoes (29.67pc), potatoes (10.62pc), chicken (9.03pc), onions (7.44pc), eggs (3.43pc), wheat flour (1.39pc), bread (1.12pc) and sugar (0.79pc).

However, on an annual basis, the items whose prices increased the most gas charges for Q1 (29.85pc), wheat flour (29.51pc), electricity charges for Q1 (17.33pc), tomatoes (16.83pc), chilies powder (15.20pc), LPG (13.60pc), bananas (11.73pc), beef (11.69pc), firewood (11.40pc), powdered milk (10.16pc), mutton (8.98pc) and gur (8.36pc).

In contrast, the prices of potatoes dropped 52.55pc, followed by chicken (29.55pc), garlic (26.18pc), onions (25.71pc), pulse gram (23.74pc), eggs (16.22pc), salt powder (12.52pc) and pulse masoor (11.93pc).

Data showed that the prices of 13 items increased, 14 decreased, and 24 remained stable compared to the previous week.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2026

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