Pakistan’s headline inflation surged to 11.1 percent in August 2026, rising more than 3x from 3.56 percent in the same month last year, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
This means the inflation rate increased by 212 percent over the year and was more than three times its level in August 2025. In July 2026, headline inflation stood at 9.2 percent.
On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, inflation increased 1.2 percent in August, unchanged from July. In August 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) had declined 0.6 percent on a monthly basis.
Urban inflation rose to 10.4 percent year-on-year (YoY) in August from 8.7 percent in July and 3.5 percent in August 2025. On a MoM basis, urban inflation increased 0.9 percent, compared with 1.2 percent in July.
Rural inflation recorded a stronger increase, reaching 12.2 percent YoY in August compared with 9.9 percent in July and 2.5 percent in August 2025. Rural inflation rose 1.6 percent MoM in August, against 1.2 percent in July.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) increased 9.5 percent YoY in August, down from 12 percent in July but significantly higher than the 2.6 percent increase recorded in August 2025. On a MoM basis, SPI rose 0.9 percent in August compared with 2.4 percent in July.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation climbed 11.8 percent YoY in August, compared with 9.4 percent in July and a 1 percent decline in August 2025. On a MoM basis, WPI increased 2 percent after remaining unchanged in July.
Core inflation also remained elevated. Urban non-food non-energy inflation increased 8.8 percent YoY in August, compared with 8.6 percent in July, while rural core inflation rose to 8.5 percent from 8.1 percent.
On a MoM basis, urban non-food non-energy inflation increased 0.5 percent, while rural core inflation rose 0.6 percent.
Under the 20 percent weighted trimmed mean measure, urban core inflation rose 8.9 percent YoY in August from 7.5 percent in July, while rural core inflation increased to 9.1 percent from 8 percent.
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