Urban Daily Wage Levels Across Five Construction Trades
Official data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) for the week ended 22 October 2026 provides measured wage rates across five construction trades across 17 urban centres nationwide. The national average daily wage for a mason (raj) was recorded at PKR 2,121.73, which represents a 0.29% change over the previous week's PKR 2,115.52 and an increase of 7.40% compared to PKR 1,975.63 observed in the corresponding week of 2025. Among surveyed urban markets, daily mason wages varied widely, ranging from PKR 1,732.70 in Multan and PKR 1,792.56 in Sukkur to PKR 2,490.74 in Karachi, PKR 2,460.86 in Lahore, PKR 2,440.11 in Islamabad, and PKR 2,500.00 in Peshawar. [2]
For plumbers, the national average daily wage reached PKR 1,918.28 during the reporting week, rising by 0.13% from PKR 1,915.70 a week earlier and increasing 9.35% from PKR 1,754.23 in the corresponding week of 2025. Measured plumber rates stood at PKR 1,465.90 in Bahawalpur, PKR 1,500.00 in Khuzdar, and PKR 1,565.95 in Larkana, contrasted with PKR 2,466.21 in Sargodha, PKR 2,414.75 in Karachi, and PKR 2,500.00 in Peshawar. [2]
The national average daily wage for painters was documented at PKR 1,798.22, showing no percentage change week-on-week relative to PKR 1,798.22, but an expansion of 5.22% over the corresponding prior-year rate of PKR 1,709.03. General construction labourers registered an average daily wage of PKR 1,320.86 nationally, rising 0.29% from PKR 1,317.05 in the preceding week and 9.19% from PKR 1,209.70 a year earlier. Labourer daily compensation ranged from PKR 965.49 in Larkana, PKR 1,000.00 in Bahawalpur and Sukkur, to PKR 1,500.00 in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Peshawar, and PKR 1,746.91 in Lahore. Electricians, evaluated on a per-point basis, averaged PKR 288.79 nationally, an increase of 0.30% week-on-week from PKR 287.92 and 3.64% over the yearly comparison of PKR 278.65, with city-level figures extending from PKR 200.00 in Bahawalpur, Sukkur, and Bannu to PKR 461.48 in Rawalpindi and PKR 487.00 in Islamabad. [2]
Building Material and Key Agricultural Inputs
PBS retail tracking indicates that a 50 kg bag of cement recorded a national average price of PKR 1,595.92 during the week ended 22 October 2026. This reflects a week-on-week decrease of 0.28% compared to the PKR 1,600.39 recorded on 15 October 2026, alongside an increase of 14.54% against PKR 1,393.35 measured during the corresponding week in October 2025. Across the 17 urban centres, cement prices spanned from PKR 1,479.57 in Karachi, PKR 1,500.00 in Bannu, and PKR 1,519.98 in Rawalpindi to PKR 1,650.00 in Gujranwala, Lahore, Sukkur, and Khuzdar, PKR 1,656.65 in Multan, and PKR 1,659.94 in Bahawalpur. [2]
Agricultural input surveillance covering 50 kg fertilizer bags showed diverging price trends across products. Sona urea averaged PKR 4,779.51 per bag nationally, remaining unchanged week-on-week and registering a 9.37% rise over the PKR 4,370.06 recorded in the corresponding week of last year. Local quotations for Sona urea ranged from PKR 4,525.00 in Lahore and PKR 4,600.00 in Faisalabad and Peshawar to PKR 5,400.00 in Rawalpindi and PKR 5,848.35 in Quetta. Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) averaged PKR 17,148.06 per bag, up 0.18% week-on-week from PKR 17,117.51 and 17.50% above the prior year's PKR 14,593.76, with regional quotes spanning PKR 16,099.69 in Multan to PKR 17,743.54 in Quetta. [2]
Other monitored chemical fertilizers included Nitro Phosphate, which averaged PKR 10,666.94 per bag (a 0.38% weekly rise and 16.25% annual increase), and Sulphate of Potash, which averaged PKR 15,375.29 per bag (down 1.11% on the week from PKR 15,547.60, but up 23.82% over the PKR 12,417.56 recorded in the corresponding week of 2025). Calcium Ammonium Nitrate averaged PKR 4,327.93 per bag, representing a 0.15% weekly decline and an 8.03% annual increase over PKR 4,006.37. Single Super Phosphate (Grade 18%) stood at PKR 4,632.96 per bag, moving up 0.29% from PKR 4,619.46 in the previous week and 38.95% over PKR 3,334.36 in the corresponding week of 2025. [2]
Household Consumption Tiers and Long-Term Index Movements
The PBS Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), computed on a 2015–16=100 base, tracks price shifts for 51 essential commodities across 50 markets in 17 cities. For the week ended 22 October 2026, the combined index stood at 374.84, reflecting a weekly movement of 0.65% from 372.43 and a year-on-year increase of 11.85% relative to 335.14. Across all five designated consumption quintiles, index levels and trajectories exhibited structural divergence based on predetermined expenditure weightings. [1]
For the lowest expenditure quintile (Q1, households with monthly consumption expenditure up to PKR 17,732), the weekly index was measured at 358.18, up 0.51% from 356.35 in the prior week and 8.45% above the 330.27 logged on 23 October 2025. In comparison, the index for the highest expenditure quintile (Q5, households with monthly expenditures above PKR 44,175) reached 374.99, showing a week-on-week change of 0.74% from 372.22 and a year-on-year change of 12.69% over 332.76. The intermediate quintiles recorded indices of 361.70 for Q2 (up 0.49% weekly, 10.37% yearly), 382.69 for Q3 (up 0.54% weekly, 9.33% yearly), and 370.10 for Q4 (up 0.56% weekly, 9.90% yearly). [1]
Historical series for the Q1 consumption group document longer-term shifts across quarters and fiscal years. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026–27 (July–September), the average Q1 index stood at 348.87, representing a 4.07% rise over the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025–26 (April–June level of 335.21) and a 9.92% increase compared to 317.38 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025–26. In preceding fiscal years, Q1 quarterly averages progressed from 277.94 in July–September 2023–24 to 310.93 in July–September 2024–25, highlighting the multi-year progression recorded in the official price survey series. [1]
Sources and reporting periods
- [1] Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) Report for the Week Ended 22-10-2026 (Spreadsheet Annexure-III) — published 2026-10-22; reporting period: Week ended 22 October 2026.
- [2] Consumer Prices and Input Statistics Annexure (Spreadsheet Appendix-A and Appendix-B) — published 2026-10-22; reporting period: Week ended 22 October 2026.