Onion price skyrockets after tomatoes

Following sugar and tomatoes, onions have now become the latest kitchen essential to cross the Rs. 200 per kg rate, making trouble for households, already struggling with record inflation.

Out-of-control and skyrocketing inflation makes the essential food items beyond the reach of the people.

Just months ago, sugar prices surged past Rs 200 per kg, taking the sweetness out of daily life for many. Soon after, tomatoes followed suit, skyrocketing from Rs.50 to over Rs.500 per kilogram, leaving consumers frustrated.

Now, onions, a vital ingredient in nearly every Pakistani dish, have joined the list of unaffordable essentials.

It was reported that in Karachi, the retail price of onions has breached Rs.200 per kg, and similar trends are being reported in cities including Lahore, Peshawar and Multan.

The relentless rise in food prices has pushed basic cooking items beyond the reach of many families, highlighting the worsening cost-of-living crisis across the country.

Earlier, the government’s price control mechanism appears to have faltered amid soaring inflation, as the retail price of tomatoes in Islamabad has hit Rs380 per kilogram.

Tomatoes are now being sold at Rs380 per kg in the federal capital, followed by Rs360 in Rawalpindi, Rs350 in Faisalabad, Rs340 in Lahore, and Rs320 in both Gujranwala and Sialkot.

The surge in tomato prices comes as weekly inflation—measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)—rose by 0.56% for the combined consumption group during the week ending October 2, 2025, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The SPI was recorded at 332.17 points, up from 330.32 the previous week. On a year-on-year basis, the index has increased by 4.07%.

Based on the 2015–16 base year, the SPI tracks the prices of 51 essential items across 17 urban centres, monitoring inflation trends for different income groups.

For the lowest income group (earning up to Rs17,732 per month), inflation rose by 0.82%, reaching 325.43 points from 322.77 a week earlier. Increases were also observed across other income brackets.