Pakistan Inflation Rises to 5.8% in January 2026. Pakistan’s inflation has increased to 5.8% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in January 2026, up from 5.6% in the previous month and 2.4% in January 2025. The latest figures were released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), which tracks inflation and related economic data in the country.
In addition to the increase in overall inflation, urban and rural inflation rates also showed notable trends, indicating different inflationary pressures across regions. These rising inflation rates come amid concerns over economic stability and living costs, particularly in light of increased prices in essential goods and services.
Pakistan Inflation in January 2026
General Inflation Overview
According to the data provided by the PBS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a 5.8% rise in inflation YoY for January 2026. This was an increase from the 5.6% recorded in December 2025. In comparison, inflation in January 2025 stood at 2.4%, highlighting the increased cost of living over the past year.
On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, inflation in January 2026 rose by 0.4%, which was a slight increase from the 0.2% rise in January 2025 and a recovery from the 0.4% decrease in December 2025.
Urban and Rural Inflation Trends
The CPI Urban inflation rate remained stable at 5.8% YoY in January 2026, unchanged from the previous month. However, when compared to the 2.7% increase in January 2025, this demonstrates a significant shift in inflation over the past year. On a MoM basis, urban inflation increased by 0.2% in January 2026, compared to a 0.4% decrease in the previous month and a 0.2% increase in January 2025.
Meanwhile, CPI Rural inflation saw an increase of 5.8% YoY in January 2026, compared to a 5.4% increase in December 2025. When compared to the 1.9% inflation rate in January 2025, this signifies a noticeable increase in the cost of living for rural households. On a MoM basis, rural inflation rose by 0.6% in January 2026, compared to a 0.6% decrease in December 2025 and a 0.2% increase in January 2025.
SPI and WPI Inflation
SPI (Sensitive Price Index) Inflation
The SPI inflation recorded a YoY increase of 3.3% in January 2026, up from 2.5% in December 2025 and 0.7% in January 2025. However, it remained in the negative on a MoM basis, showing a -0.8% decrease in both January 2026 and December 2025, compared to a -1.4% decrease in January 2025.
WPI (Wholesale Price Index) Inflation
WPI inflation in January 2026 saw a modest 0.2% YoY increase, a decline from the 0.6% rise in December 2025. When compared to 0.6% inflation in January 2025, the WPI inflation is relatively stable but still shows some increase. On a MoM basis, WPI inflation decreased by 0.2% in January 2026, following a -0.9% decrease in the previous month and a 0.2% rise in January 2025.
Core Inflation and Trimmed Core Inflation
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, continued to show notable trends.
Urban Core Inflation (Non-food, Non-energy)
Core inflation measured by the non-food, non-energy Urban CPI increased by 7.2% YoY in January 2026. This marked a slight rise from the 6.9% recorded in the previous month and a 7.8% increase in January 2025. On a MoM basis, it rose by 1.0% in January 2026, compared to 0.5% in December 2025 and 0.8% in January 2025. This indicates that inflation in non-food and non-energy goods is accelerating.
Rural Core Inflation (Non-food, Non-energy)
Similarly, rural core inflation (excluding food and energy) saw a YoY increase of 8.3% in January 2026, compared to 8.1% in December 2025 and 10.4% in January 2025. On a MoM basis, it rose by 1.1% in January 2026, compared to 0.6% in December 2025 and 0.9% in January 2025. This demonstrates a steady upward trend in core inflation in rural areas.
Trimmed Core Inflation
The trimmed mean method, which excludes the most extreme price changes in both urban and rural areas, also showed rising inflation figures:
- Urban trimmed core inflation increased by 4.9% YoY in January 2026, compared to 5.5% in December 2025 and 5.4% in January 2025. On a MoM basis, it increased by 0.5% in January 2026, compared to 0.3% in the previous month and 0.6% in January 2025.
- Rural trimmed core inflation increased by 5.4% YoY in January 2026, compared to 6.0% in December 2025 and 5.4% in January 2025. On a MoM basis, it rose by 0.7% in January 2026, compared to 0.4% in December 2025 and 0.7% in January 2025.
Conclusion
The latest inflation figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reveal a continued rise in general inflation across Pakistan in January 2026. With CPI inflation rising to 5.8% YoY, it’s clear that inflationary pressures are impacting both urban and rural populations.
