# SPI inflation eases to 11.38%: atta up 3.4% and chicken 3.3% in a week, tomatoes down 23%

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/economy/spi-inflation-eases-to-1138percent-atta-up-34percent-and-chicken-33percent-in-a)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 16 Oct 2026
Updated: 16 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 17 Oct 2026

> The weekly index slipped 0.04% after the petrol cut and a 23% fall in tomato prices, but flour, chicken and pulses kept climbing. Here is what moved and what it means for a kitchen budget.

**SPI inflation** in Pakistan was **11.38% year on year** in the week ended **15 October 2026**, down from **11.97%** a week earlier, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) figures released on Friday and [reported by Dawn](https://www.dawn.com/news/2037605/short-term-inflation-surges-to-1138pc-due-to-costly-food). On the week the Sensitive Price Indicator fell **0.04%**, the first weekly dip after the 0.57% jump we [reported last Friday](/news/economy/spi-inflation-hits-1197percent-atta-up-57percent-in-a-week-to-rs-2851-a-bag).

The SPI tracks 51 everyday items in 50 markets across 17 cities, so it is the quickest weekly read of what a household spends on food and fuel.

## What went up this week

Of the 51 items, **23 rose, 7 fell and 21 were unchanged**. The biggest weekly increases were:

| Item | Week-on-week |
| --- | --- |
| Pulse gram | +4.97% |
| Wheat flour | +3.36% |
| Chicken | +3.31% |
| Eggs | +0.99% |
| Pulse mash | +0.98% |
| Pulse masoor | +0.95% |
| Firewood | +0.69% |
| Diesel | +0.47% |
| LPG | +0.42% |

Flour has now risen two weeks running, after a 5.69% jump the week before.

## What got cheaper

**Tomatoes fell 23.05%** in a week, onions 4.90%, bananas 2.59%, **petrol 0.70%**, broken basmati rice 0.65%, sugar 0.62% and gur 0.36%. The petrol fall reflects the Rs 3.63 cut that took effect on 16 October ([our story](/news/economy/petrol-price-cut-rs-363-to-rs-39023-from-today-diesel-up-31-paisa-to-rs-39696)); the next SPI week will show more of it.

## Against a year ago

The year-on-year list is where the pressure shows. **Onions are up 75.19%**, LPG 68.95%, electricity for the lowest-use households 58.59%, **petrol 49.60%**, diesel 43.98% and **wheat flour 35.13%**. Chicken is up 20.77%, chilli powder 15.55%, mutton 14.90% and beef 12.27%.

Some staples are cheaper than in October 2025: tomatoes (down 63.65%), potatoes (39.93%), sugar (23.20%), eggs (19.83%), salt (14.86%) and masoor (8.97%).

## Why it stays in double digits

Weekly inflation has been above 10% for several weeks. Dawn's report puts most of it on fuel: petrol and diesel prices now change most days, and transport costs feed into flour, pulses and chicken a week or two later.

## What it means for you

* **Atta:** flour is up 35% on a year and has risen two weeks in a row, so it is the item to watch in your monthly budget.
* **Fuel:** check your own monthly spend with the [fuel cost calculator](/tools/cars/fuel-cost-calculator), and follow PSO's daily price on our [petrol price page](/data/petrol-price).
* **Gas cylinders:** LPG is up almost 69% on a year; if you use piped gas, see what a month costs with the [gas bill calculator](/tools/utilities/gas-bill-calculator).

The monthly consumer price index (CPI), which the State Bank uses for interest-rate decisions, is on our [CPI inflation page](/data/cpi-yoy).

## Frequently asked questions

**What is SPI inflation this week in Pakistan?**

For the week ended 15 October 2026 the SPI was 11.38% higher than a year earlier and 0.04% lower than the week before, PBS figures show.

**Which prices rose most this week?**

Pulse gram (4.97%), wheat flour (3.36%) and chicken (3.31%) rose most; tomatoes fell 23.05% and petrol 0.70%.

## Sources

- Short-term inflation surges to 11.38pc due to costly food (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2037605/short-term-inflation-surges-to-1138pc-due-to-costly-food
- Weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics): https://www.pbs.gov.pk/

How to cite: "SPI inflation eases to 11.38%: atta up 3.4% and chicken 3.3% in a week, tomatoes down 23%", Searchable, 16 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/economy/spi-inflation-eases-to-1138percent-atta-up-34percent-and-chicken-33percent-in-a