Pakistan Economy: Inflation Risk Real or Just a Fear? – By Alpha-Akseer Research
Nov 28 2025
Alpha Capital
- Pakistan is at a pivotal moment in determining the direction of its exchange rate. While the rupee has long been associated with inflationary spikes whenever devalued, the present macroeconomic context signals a limited inflationary transmission from PKR depreciation. Since domestic food prices have already adjusted by 26.5% beyond global benchmark, the scope for additional inflationary pressure from depreciation remains limited. In this environment, a carefully managed depreciation of the rupee could support export competitiveness, attract higher remittance inflows, and strengthen the external account, offering a strategic opportunity to devalue the currency without immediately destabilizing prices.
- Domestic food inflation is already running well above the global index nearly 26.5% higher with a weight of 34.6% in the overall CPI basket. This elevated base reduces the risk of a sharp surge in prices from currency depreciation. In addition, food prices in Pakistan have historically been downward sticky, implying that they do not decline quickly even when global prices ease. In this context, external inflationary forces, such as PKR depreciation or an uptick in world food prices, are likely to have a limited pass-through effect on local food costs. Going forward, the World Bank is projecting a further decline in the global food price index by 6.1% in 2025 and 0.3% in 2026. As a result, the existing gap may widen further in Pakistan’s favor, providing additional cushion for the economy to absorb potential international price shocks or PKR depreciation without triggering significant domestic inflation.
