SPI inflation hits 11.92%: electricity up 18.8% in a week, onions double in a year

Weekly inflation in Pakistan jumped 0.99% in one week and now stands at 11.92% year on year, according to the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ending 24 September 2026, released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. A near-1% weekly move is large for the SPI, and most of it came from one line: electricity.

What went up this week

The SPI tracks 51 essential items in 50 markets across 17 cities. This week 20 items rose, 10 fell and 21 were unchanged.

The electricity reading covers the lowest domestic consumption band, the one that most low-income households fall into, so the jump shows up directly in their monthly bill.

What got cheaper

Tomatoes fell 13.45%, potatoes 8.33%, bananas 5.66% and onions 2.42%. Diesel fell 1.57% and petrol 0.34% over the week, while sugar slipped 0.23% and powdered salt 0.90%.

The year-on-year picture

Measured against the same week last year, the biggest moves are:

• Onions: up 115.98%, more than double a year ago
• LPG: up 63.97%
• Potatoes: down 39.21%
• Sugar: down 21.14%

The SPI is a weekly measure of essentials and is more volatile than the monthly consumer price index. The last CPI reading was 11.1% year on year for August; the September CPI is due from the Bureau in the first days of October. You can follow it on our CPI inflation page.

What it means for you

• Check your electricity bill. If your usage crosses a slab boundary, the per-unit rate on your whole bill can change. Estimate your next bill in our electricity bill calculator or work out which appliances cost most with the electricity units calculator.
• LPG users are paying almost two-thirds more than a year ago. For cooking, compare against piped gas with the gas bill calculator where you have a connection.
• Salary talks. With weekly inflation near 12%, a raise below that is a pay cut in real terms. See what a raise is worth with the salary increment calculator.
• Fuel is one of the few items falling this week; track the daily rate on our petrol price page.