ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s headline inflation eased to 10.26 percent year-on-year in September 2026, down from 11.15 percent in August, official data showed — a modest relief that still leaves prices rising at more than double last year’s pace.
The September 2025 rate was 5.76 percent, underlining how sharply the cost of living has climbed over the past year, driven largely by energy and food prices amid elevated global oil costs.
Weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) rose 11.53 percent year-on-year for the week ended October 1, and 0.21 percent week-on-week, suggesting pressure on household essentials continues.
Economists say the direction of inflation in the coming months will depend heavily on global oil prices, the exchange rate, and the outcome of Pakistan’s ongoing talks with the IMF, where energy pricing remains a central issue.