Pakistan Inflation October 2026: CPI Eases to 9.6%, Chicken Up 19%, Full PBS Figures
Pakistan's CPI inflation was 9.6% in October 2026, down from 10.3%, PBS says. See urban, rural and core rates, and the items that rose and fell the most.
Pakistan's inflation rate was 9.6% in October 2026, down from 10.3% in September, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Prices rose 1.1% in the month itself. Chicken, wheat and flour drove the monthly rise, while tomatoes, onions and electricity got cheaper.
PBS posted the October figures on Monday 2 November 2026, and we read the full monthly review the same evening. The headline number is the year-on-year change in the national Consumer Price Index (CPI), which compares October 2026 prices with October 2025. Below are the urban and rural rates, core inflation, the items that moved most, and what the figure means for your savings and loan.
CPI inflation fell to 9.6% in October 2026
National CPI inflation was 9.6% year on year in October 2026, against 10.3% in September 2026 and 6.2% in October 2025. On a month-on-month basis prices rose 1.1%, a little slower than the 1.3% rise in September.
The index itself stood at 307.62 in October against 304.33 in September and 280.66 a year earlier. So something that cost Rs 10,000 in October 2025 cost about Rs 10,961 in October 2026. That is our own arithmetic from the PBS index.
| Measure | October 2026, year on year | September 2026 | October 2026, month on month |
|---|---|---|---|
| National CPI | 9.6% | 10.3% | 1.1% |
| Urban CPI | 9.5% | 10.1% | 0.8% |
| Rural CPI | 9.8% | 10.5% | 1.5% |
| SPI (lowest income group) | 8.7% | 8.4% | 1.3% |
| WPI (wholesale) | 13.8% | 13.3% | 0.9% |
Rural prices rose faster than urban ones in the month, 1.5% against 0.8%, mainly because fresh vegetables jumped 19.59% in villages. The average for July to October 2026 is 10.05%, more than double the 4.79% of the same four months last year. Every month of the year is in the full list of 2026 inflation rates.
Chicken, wheat and flour pushed prices up in October
In cities, chicken rose 19.38% from September, pulse gram 9.17%, wheat 9.01% and wheat flour 7.54%. Eggs went up 5.72%. Tomatoes fell 31.63%, onions 4.23%, potatoes 4.04% and sugar 2.17%, which held the monthly figure down.
Outside food, liquefied gas (LPG) rose 8.39% and motor fuel 3.00% in urban areas. House rent rose 0.94% and medicines 0.90%. Electricity charges fell 3.31%, the only non-food item PBS lists as cheaper in the month. The new cylinder price is in the November LPG price.
Wheat and flour matter most here. Flour is up 34.27% in a year in cities and 35.72% in villages. In villages it rose 9.41% in October alone. Weekly city prices for a 20 kg bag are in the weekly flour price report.
Onions, wheat and fuel are the biggest risers over a year
Compared with October 2025, urban onions are up 81.89%, wheat 39.04%, flour 34.27% and chicken 20.30%. LPG is up 69.08% and motor fuel 41.29%. Tomatoes, potatoes, sugar and eggs are all cheaper than a year ago.
| Item, urban | Change in a year | Change in October |
|---|---|---|
| Onions | +81.89% | -4.23% |
| Wheat | +39.04% | +9.01% |
| Wheat flour | +34.27% | +7.54% |
| Chicken | +20.30% | +19.38% |
| LPG | +69.08% | +8.39% |
| Motor fuel | +41.29% | +3.00% |
| Electricity charges | +22.85% | -3.31% |
| Tomatoes | -55.12% | -31.63% |
| Sugar | -21.80% | -2.17% |
| Eggs | -19.05% | +5.72% |
By group, urban transport costs are 30.39% higher than a year ago and communication 15.08%. In rural areas the housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels group is up 17.62%. Those two groups explain most of the gap between this year and last.
Core inflation dropped below 8% in cities
Core inflation, which leaves out food and energy, fell to 7.8% in urban areas in October from 8.6% in September. In rural areas it fell to 7.1% from 8.1%. Urban core is the lowest since March 2026, and rural core is the lowest of the 13 months in the PBS table.
The trimmed measure, which drops the 20% of items with the most extreme moves, was 8.5% urban and 8.9% rural. Both were lower than September. Wholesale prices went the other way, up 13.8% in a year, led by kerosene, furnace oil and diesel. The meaning of each measure is set out in CPI, SPI, WPI and core inflation.
The 9.6% figure sits at the low end of the official forecast
The Finance Division had projected October inflation at 9.5% to 10.5%. The actual 9.6% is near the bottom of that range. With the policy rate at 12% from 27 October, the gap between the policy rate and inflation is now 2.4 points.
That gap is what savers care about. A bank or National Savings profit rate of 12% before tax leaves 10.2% after 15% filer tax, which is only 0.6 points above inflation. The State Bank's next rate decision is listed with every other date in the November economic calendar. Whether your own savings keep pace is worked through in checking if savings beat inflation.
- Open the PBS website at pbs.gov.pk and find "Monthly Inflation Report for Oct 2026" under What's New.
- Download the "Monthly Review on Price Indices" PDF.
- Read Table 1.a on page 2 for the national, urban and rural rates.
- Read Annexure A and B for the price change of each item.
Common questions
What is Pakistan's inflation rate in October 2026?
It is 9.6% year on year, from the PBS release of 2 November 2026. Prices rose 1.1% from September.
Is inflation going down in Pakistan?
The yearly rate eased from 10.3% in September to 9.6% in October. Prices are still rising each month, but a little more slowly.
Why did chicken and flour prices rise in October?
PBS reports the price changes but does not give reasons. Chicken rose 19.38% and flour 7.54% in cities during the month.
What is the difference between urban and rural inflation?
Urban inflation was 9.5% and rural 9.8%. Rural prices rose faster in October because fresh vegetables and flour jumped more in villages.
When will November 2026 inflation be published?
PBS usually publishes in the first days of the next month. It has not announced a date for the November figure.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 2 November 2026 at about 23:00 PKT. We read the PBS release page Monthly Inflation Report for Oct 2026, dated 2 November 2026, and downloaded its Monthly Review on Price Indices for October 2026. All rates, index values and item changes come from Tables 1.a, 1.b, 1.1, 2 and 3 of that review. The Rs 10,000 example, the 2.4 point gap and the after-tax figure are our own arithmetic. PBS gives no reasons for price changes, so we have not stated any.
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.
