Pakistan inflation eases to 10.3pc in September as food prices cool, PBS says

Pakistan’s consumer price inflation eased to 10.3 per cent in September 2026 from 11.1 per cent in August, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Thursday, as a slowdown in food price rises offset elevated energy costs.

The reading marks a reversal of August’s sharp increase, when the annual rate jumped to 11.1 per cent from 9.2 per cent in July on higher food and energy prices. September’s inflation remained far above the 5.8 per cent recorded a year earlier.

Rural inflation fell the fastest, dropping to 10.5 per cent year-on-year in September from 12.2 per cent in August, while urban inflation eased to 10.1 per cent from 10.4 per cent, according to PBS data reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan.

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) inflation also cooled to 8.4 per cent year-on-year from 9.5 per cent, while core inflation measured by non-food, non-energy (NFNE) eased to 8.6 per cent in urban areas from 8.8 per cent, though it remained above the 7.0 per cent recorded a year earlier.