Calculate How Much Prices Have Risen in Pakistan: Rs 10,000 From 2022 Is Now Rs 16,390
Prices in Pakistan rose 64% from September 2022 to September 2026. Use the PBS CPI index to work out what any old amount, salary or pension is worth today.
Shopping that cost Rs 10,000 in September 2022 cost about Rs 16,390 in September 2026. That is a 64 per cent rise in four years, worked out from the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
You can do the same sum for any amount and any month: a salary, a rent, a pension or a price you remember. It needs two numbers from PBS and one division. Below are the index values we read, the formula, and worked examples for salaries and the 2026 pension increase.
One formula tells you what an old amount is worth today
Multiply the old amount by today's CPI index and divide by the CPI index of the old month. The result is what the same shopping costs now. The index is a number PBS publishes every month, set at 100 for the 2015-16 average.
In plain words: today's amount = old amount × (index now ÷ index then).
The national CPI stood at 304.33 in September 2026. In September 2022 it was 185.68. So Rs 10,000 × (304.33 ÷ 185.68) = Rs 16,390. The same division run the other way shows that Rs 10,000 today buys what about Rs 6,100 bought in September 2022.
Here are the September index values for 2022 to 2026
We read the national CPI index for each September from the PBS monthly price reviews. Prices rose 31 per cent in the year to September 2023 alone, and 10.26 per cent in the latest year. The table converts Rs 10,000 from each year into September 2026 rupees.
| Month | National CPI index (2015-16 = 100) | Rs 10,000 then equals, in September 2026 | Rise to September 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 average | 100.00 | Rs 30,433 | 204% |
| September 2022 | 185.68 | Rs 16,390 | 63.9% |
| September 2023 | 244.05 | Rs 12,470 | 24.7% |
| September 2024 | 260.96 | Rs 11,662 | 16.6% |
| September 2025 | 276.01 | Rs 11,026 | 10.3% |
| September 2026 | 304.33 | Rs 10,000 | none |
The first row is the striking one. Prices in September 2026 were just over three times their 2015-16 average. A household that spent Rs 30,000 a month then needs about Rs 91,300 now for the same things.
Find the index for any month in 5 steps
PBS publishes the index for every month in its Monthly Review on Price Indices, usually on the first working day of the next month. Table 1 holds the national figure. You need the index for the old month and for the latest month.
- Open the PBS website and go to the price statistics section, or the latest monthly inflation report on the home page.
- Download the Monthly Review on Price Indices for the month you want. Older years are listed by month in the same section.
- In Table 1, "Consumer Price Index (National)", read the "General" row. That is the index.
- Do the same for the latest month. For September 2026 it is 304.33.
- Divide the new index by the old one and multiply by your amount.
Each review also shows the same month a year earlier, so one file gives you two years. That is how we got five Septembers from three files. If you want to track the numbers yourself, the same reviews sit beside the other figures listed in how to check Pakistan's economy numbers on official pages.
A salary of Rs 50,000 in 2022 needs Rs 81,950 today
To keep the same buying power, a salary of Rs 50,000 in September 2022 had to reach about Rs 81,950 by September 2026. A salary of Rs 50,000 in September 2024 needed Rs 58,310. Compare those numbers with your own pay rises to see whether you kept up.
The same check works for pensions. The Finance Division raised federal pensions by 7 per cent from 1 July 2026, under an office memorandum dated 29 July 2026. A Rs 50,000 pension became Rs 53,500. Keeping pace with the 10.26 per cent price rise to September would have needed Rs 55,130.
That is not a forecast for the year ahead. Pensions are set once a year, while prices move every month. But it shows why many pensioners feel poorer even after an increase.
Your own inflation can be higher or lower than the CPI
The CPI is an average basket. Food and drinks are 34.58 per cent of it nationally, and housing, electricity, gas and fuel are 23.63 per cent. If your spending is different, your personal inflation will be different too.
The gaps between groups are wide. On the September 2026 national index, with 2015-16 at 100:
- Transport stood at 404.02, about four times its 2015-16 level.
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks stood at 314.58.
- Housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels stood at 276.26.
- Education stood at 240.79.
- Communication stood at 153.72, the slowest rise of the main groups.
So a family that drives a lot has seen bigger rises than the headline. Food is moving fast again too: weekly inflation data showed wheat flour up 5.69 per cent in the single week to 8 October 2026. PBS also publishes separate urban and rural indices. In September 2026 urban CPI was up 10.1 per cent on the year and rural CPI 10.5 per cent. If you live in a city, the urban table is the closer match. The full breakdown for the latest month is in our report on Pakistan's inflation in September 2026.
Common questions
How much is Rs 10,000 from 2022 worth today in Pakistan?
Rs 10,000 of shopping in September 2022 cost about Rs 16,390 in September 2026, based on the PBS national CPI index of 185.68 and 304.33.
How do I calculate inflation between two years?
Divide the CPI index of the later month by the index of the earlier month, subtract 1 and multiply by 100. For September 2025 to September 2026: 304.33 ÷ 276.01 = 1.1026, a 10.26 per cent rise.
Where can I find Pakistan's CPI index?
In the PBS Monthly Review on Price Indices, Table 1, the "General" row. PBS posts it on its website at the start of each month.
How much have prices risen in Pakistan since 2015-16?
About 204 per cent. The national CPI was 304.33 in September 2026 against a 2015-16 average of 100, so prices are just over three times higher.
Did the 2026 pension increase keep up with inflation?
No. Federal pensions rose 7 per cent from 1 July 2026, while the CPI rose 10.26 per cent in the year to September 2026.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 10 October 2026, about 8:00 pm PKT. Index values are from PBS Monthly Reviews on Price Indices for September 2026, September 2024 and September 2023, Table 1, national CPI, base 2015-16. The pension increase is from Finance Division office memorandum No.4(1)/REG.6/2026 of 29 July 2026 on the Finance Division circulars page. All conversions are our own arithmetic.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
