ISLAMABAD: Decline in the prices of essential vegetables kept the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation stable at 5.6 percent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in December 2025, despite a seasonal spike in the prices of wheat, eggs, vegetable oil, fruits, and dry fruits.
According to the figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the CPI in December decreased by 0.4 percent on a month-on-month (MoM) basis and decreased by 0.1 percent on a YoY basis. The CPI was 6.1percent in the previous month and 4.1percent in December 2024.
The CPI-based inflation (urban) increased by 5.8 percent on a YoY basis in December 2025, as compared to an increase of 6.1 percent in the previous month and 4.4percent in December 2024. On a month-on-month basis, it decreased by 0.4percent in December 2025 as compared to an increase of 0.5percent in the previous month and a decrease of 0.1percent in December 2024.
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Whereas the CPI inflation (rural) increased by 5.4percent on a YoY basis in December 2025, as compared to an increase of 6.3percent in the previous month and 3.6percent in December 2024. On a MoM basis, it decreased by 0.6percent as compared to an increase of 0.2percent in the previous month and an increase of 0.3 percent in December 2024.
Sensitive Price Index-based inflation on a YoY basis increased by 2.5percent in December 2025, as compared to an increase of 4.2percent in the previous month and in December 2024.
On a MoM basis, it decreased by 0.8percent in December 2025 as compared to an increase of 0.4percent in the month earlier and an increase of 0.8percent in December 2024.
The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation on a YoY basis increased by 0.6percent in December 2025, as compared to an increase of 1.1percent in the previous month and an increase of 1.9percent in December 2024. On a MoM basis, it decreased by 0.9percent in December 2025 as compared to a decrease of 0.2percent in the previous month and a decrease of 0.4percent in December 2024.
On a MoM basis, an increase was witnessed in fresh fruits,6.78 percent, wheat, 3.48percent, dry fruits,3.29 percent, eggs, 3.27 percent, cooking oil,2.84 percent, milk powder,2.03 percent, wheat flour,2.01 percent, vegetable ghee,1.92 percent, fish,1.89 percent, wheat products,1.53 percent, beans,0.63 percent, and condiments & spices,0.57 percent.
Whereas decrease was registered in the prices of tomatoes, 45.20 percent, onions, 32.99 percent, fresh vegetables, 21.30 percent, potatoes, 17.88 percent, sugar, 6.96 percent, gram whole, 3.07 percent, gur,2.93 percent, chicken, 2.79 percent, besan, 2.65 percent, pulse gram, 2.40 percent, pulse mash, 1.17 percent, mustard oil, 0.81 percent, pulse masoor, 0.74 percent, rice,0.21 percent, and pulse moong, 0.12 percent.
Among non-food items, an increase was registered on a MoM basis in liquefied hydrocarbons, 16.37percent, personal effects, 3.77 percent, solid fuel, 2.76 percent, woollen readymade garments, 2.44 percent, marriage hall charges, 1.96 percent, mechanical services, 1.92 percent, household servant, 0.97 percent, transport services, 0.96 percent, education, 0.84percent, and electricity charges, 0.53 percent.
Whereas a decline was witnessed in the prices of motor fuel, 0.66 percent, and washing soap/detergents/match boxes, 0.54 percent.
Non-food non-energy Urban inflation increased by 6.9 percent on a YoY basis in December 2025, as compared to 6.6 percent in the previous month.
On a MoM basis, it increased by 0.5percent in December 2025 as compared to 0.3 percent in the previous month and 0.6 percent in the same period of the previous year.
Whereas non-food non-energy rural inflation increased by 8.1 percent on a YoY basis in December 2025.
On a MoM basis, it increased by 0.6 percent in December 2025 as compared to 0.5 percent in the previous month and an increase of 0.6 percent in the corresponding month of last year.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
