ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan recorded an increase in inflation during the first month of 2026, according to a monthly report released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The bureau said inflation rose 0.39% in January compared with December 2025, while the year-on-year inflation rate climbed to 5.80%. In December, annual inflation stood at 5.6%.
The Ministry of Finance had projected inflation between 5% and 6% for January. From July 2025 to January 2026, average inflation remained at 5.24%, the report noted.
PBS data showed that inflation in rural areas increased by 0.61% on a monthly basis, while urban inflation rose 0.23% during January.
On an annual basis, rural inflation was recorded at 5.79%, compared with 5.81% in urban areas.