Arab News: Qatar’s Consumer Price Index reached 110.61 points in April, a monthly decline of 0.74 percent but an annual rise of of 2.62 percent, according to data released by the National Planning Council.
The index, which tracks inflation across the economy, covers 12 major commodity groups encompassing 737 goods and services. It is calculated on the basis of 2018 as the reference year, using data derived from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey for 2017–2018.
Qatar’s annual inflation of 2.62 percent places it somewhat above its Gulf neighbors for the same period. Saudi Arabia recorded a rate of 1.7 percent in April, while Oman saw a sharper acceleration, with annual inflation jumping to 3.6 percent in March.
“The data of the National Planning Council attributed the monthly decrease to the decline of five groups: entertainment and culture by 6.19 percent, transport by 0.88 percent, clothing and footwear by 0.61 percent, in addition to other goods and services by 0.18 percent, and the health group by 0.1 percent,” Qatar News Agency reported.
Food and beverages posted the largest monthly gain at 1.48 percent, with housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rising 0.13 percent, furniture and household appliances up 0.12 percent, and restaurants and hotels edging up 0.07 percent. Tobacco, communications and education recorded no change month-on-month.
On an annual basis, eight groups posted increases. The steepest gains were in miscellaneous goods and services at 13.82 percent and food and beverages at 10.41 percent.
Clothing and footwear rose 4.71 percent year on year, followed by education at 2.09 percent, and housing and utilities at 1.62 percent, as well as restaurants and hotels at 0.90 percent, furniture and household appliances at 0.81 percent, and communications at 0.75 percent.
“On the other hand, the records showed a decrease in three groups: entertainment and culture by 3.18 percent, followed by the transport group at 0.55 percent, and the health group by 0.09 percent, while there was no change in the tobacco group,” QNA added.
When the housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels group is excluded, a common measure used to gauge underlying consumer price trends, the index came in at 115.39 points in April, down 0.92 percent from March but up 2.84 percent compared to a year earlier.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2644020/business-economy
