Pakistani households received a welcome reprieve this week as weekly inflation declined by 0.46 percent, driven primarily by significant cuts in petrol and diesel prices, according to official data released Friday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The Sensitive Price Indicator, which tracks price movements of essential goods, dropped to 372.90 points for the week ending November 12, 2026, down from 374.61 points the previous week. The decline offers temporary relief to consumers who have been grappling with persistent cost-of-living pressures throughout the year.
Petrol led the price reductions with a sharp 7.42 percent weekly decline, while diesel became 6.10 percent cheaper. These fuel price cuts have immediate ripple effects across the economy, reducing transportation costs for commuters and potentially easing pressure on goods distribution expenses.
Beyond fuel, several kitchen staples also became more affordable. Onion prices dropped 1.70 percent, bananas fell 1.03 percent, and sugar declined 0.43 percent. Gur, powdered milk, and pulses including moong and gram also registered price decreases, providing some breathing room for household budgets.
However, the relief was not uniform across all items. Tomatoes saw the steepest weekly increase at 12.06 percent, while eggs jumped 5.98 percent. Potatoes climbed 2.42 percent, garlic rose 1.76 percent, and chicken increased 1.32 percent. Wheat flour, a staple in Pakistani kitchens, also became 0.94 percent more expensive.
The inflation picture varies significantly across income groups. The poorest households, earning up to Rs17,732 monthly, actually saw a slight 0.03 percent increase in their cost basket. Meanwhile, higher-income groups experienced more substantial relief, with those earning above Rs44,175 seeing prices decline 0.68 percent.
Out of 51 monitored items, 19 became more expensive, nine became cheaper, and 23 remained stable during the week.
Despite the weekly decline, year-on-year inflation remains stubbornly high at 11.21 percent, reflecting the sustained pressure on Pakistani consumers over the past year. LPG prices have more than doubled annually, surging 111.35 percent, while tomatoes are up 78.94 percent and electricity charges jumped 52.38 percent compared to the same week last year.
Wheat flour, diesel, and petrol remain significantly more expensive than a year ago, with increases of 36.14 percent, 30.77 percent, and 26.23 percent respectively. Essential proteins including mutton, beef, and chicken have all posted double-digit annual increases.
On the positive side, potatoes have crashed 36.41 percent year-on-year, sugar is down 24.54 percent, and eggs have fallen 23.29 percent compared to last year’s levels.
The weekly decline offers a glimpse of relief, but Pakistani families continue navigating a challenging economic environment where essential goods remain substantially more expensive than a year ago, even as some items provide temporary respite.
