August inflation rises 11.1% YoY

Mettis Global reported that the National Consumer Price Index climbed to 11.1 per cent year on year in August 2026, according to figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. That reading is up from 9.2 per cent in July and far above the 3.1 per cent seen in August 2025. On a monthly basis, headline inflation held steady at 1.2 per cent, matching July.

Urban inflation accelerated to 10.4 per cent from 8.7 per cent in July, while rural inflation reached 12.2 per cent from 9.9 per cent in June. The Sensitive Price Index, which follows essential and fast-moving goods, eased to 9.5 per cent from 12.0 per cent in July. Wholesale prices, measured by the Wholesale Price Index, rose 11.8 per cent year on year, against 9.4 per cent in July.

Core measures also moved higher, with urban non-food non-energy inflation at 8.8 per cent and the urban trimmed mean at 8.9 per cent. Rural readings for the same measures also climbed, reaching 8.5 per cent and 9.1 per cent respectively. Taken together, the figures show annual price pressures picking up again after two months of easing, even though monthly momentum was mixed across indices.