ISLAMABAD: Consumer inflation eased to 10.3 per cent in September from 11.1pc a month earlier, mainly due to a sharp slowdown in food inflation, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.
The slight deceleration in the inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index, reversed the sharp increase recorded in August, when higher food and energy prices pushed the annual rate to 11.1pc from 9.2pc in July.
The easing was more pronounced in rural areas, where inflation fell to 10.5pc from 12.2pc, while urban inflation edged down to 10.1pc from 10.4pc.
The September reading was also within the Ministry of Finance’s projection of 10pc to 11pc for the month in its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook for September 2026.
However, despite the decline in the annual rate, prices rose 1.3pc month-on-month in September. The annual inflation rate was 5.8pc in September last year.
The easing was largely driven by food prices. Food inflation dropped to 8.1pc in urban areas in September from 12.1pc in August. The decline was much sharper in rural areas, where food inflation fell to 7.7pc from 13.2pc a month earlier.
However, non-food inflation moved in the opposite direction, indicating continued pressure on household expenses. Urban non-food inflation accelerated to 11.5pc from 9.4pc in August, while rural non-food inflation increased to 13.1pc from 11.3pc.
The finance ministry had warned in its September 2026 outlook that inflationary pressures were concentrated in food and energy following the impact of higher global oil prices on domestic energy, transport and food costs.
In August, food, housing and utilities, and transport together contributed 8.2 percentage points, or about three-quarters of headline inflation. Food alone contributed 4.9 percentage points.
The latest data show that the composition of inflation shifted in September. While food inflation slowed sharply, electricity and transport costs continued to rise. Electricity charges increased by 15.28pc from the previous month, while motor fuel prices rose by 10.76pc in urban areas.
At the national level, transport costs increased by 5.75pc during September and were 27.43pc higher than in the same month last year. Housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels increased by 3.05pc during the month and by 12.39pc on an annual basis.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy components, also eased slightly. It stood at 8.6pc in urban areas in September, compared with 8.8pc in August, while the rural rate declined to 8.1pc from 8.5pc.
Month-on-month increase and decrease: September 2026 from August 2026
Food item
Increase
Food item
Decrease
Onions
39.38pc
Tomatoes
27.87pc
Pulse Gram
2.42pc
Chicken
7.57pc
Wheat Flour
1.72pc
Pulse Moong
3.41pc
Gram Whole
1.10pc
Eggs
2.92pc
Wheat
1.00pc
Fresh Fruits
2.56pc
Fresh Vegetables
0.87pc
Potatoes
2.30pc
Mustard Oil
0.86pc
Milk Powder
1.98pc
Pulse Masoor
0.85pc
Dessert Preparation
1.92pc
Readymade Food
0.81pc
Sugar
1.70pc
Wheat Products
0.70pc
Rice
0.70pc
Vegetable Ghee
0.60pc
Beans
0.58pc
Tea
0.57pc
Pulse Mash
0.43pc
—
—
Honey
0.42pc
—
—
Condiments & Spices
0.24pc
—
—
Besan
0.22pc
Non-food item
Increase
Non-food item
Decrease
Electricity Charges
15.28pc
Transport Services
0.75pc
Motor Fuels
11.13pc
Textbooks
0.67pc
Liquified Hydrocarbons
7.58pc
—
—
Medical Tests
1.64pc
—
—
Doctor Clinic Fee
1.41pc
—
—
Furniture and Furnishing
1.11pc
—
—
Plastic Products
0.82pc
—
—
Marriage Hall Charges
0.78pc
—
—
Construction Input Items
0.76pc
—
—
Drugs & Medicines
0.70pc
Year-on-year increase and decrease: September 2026 from September 2025
Food item
Increase
Food item
Decrease
Onions
136.70pc
Potatoes
34.47pc
Wheat
37.46pc
Sugar
21.82pc
Wheat Flour
34.31pc
Chicken
21.31pc
Wheat Products
15.31pc
Eggs
19.27pc
Meat
10.13pc
Besan
14.29pc
Vegetable Ghee
9.36pc
Gram Whole
13.05pc
Sweetmeat
8.81pc
Pulse Gram
11.99pc
Dry Fruits
8.06pc
Pulse Moong
10.04pc
Milk Fresh
7.67pc
Pulse Masoor
10.01pc
Mustard Oil
7.53pc
Gur
7.95pc
Fresh Fruits
6.99pc
Tomatoes
7.18pc
Fish
6.88pc
Beans
3.95pc
Milk Products
6.54pc
Honey
1.47pc
—
—
Condiments & Spices
1.00pc
—
—
Pulse Mash
0.42pc
Non-food item
Increase
Non-food item
Decrease
Liquified Hydrocarbons
53.98pc
Textbooks
3.53pc
Motor Fuels
39.70pc
Postal Services
1.43pc
Motor Vehicle Tax
34.32pc
—
—
Electricity Charges
32.46pc
—
—
Construction Input Items
18.08pc
—
—
Personal Effects
16.88pc
—
—
Solid Fuel
16.45pc
—
—
Doctor Clinic Fee
15.9
The post Consumer inflation eases to 10.3pc in September from 11.1pc in August, official data shows appeared first on Dawn – Home.
