Qatar’s inflation, based on consumer price index (CPI), increased 0.7 percent in June, 2017 compared to the CPI of May, 2017, while the index, which was estimated at 108.5, has increased by 0.8 percent (year-on-year), when compared with the CPI of June 2016.
According to figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS), the prices of food and beverages and the cost of recreation and culture has increased by up to 2.5 percent from a month ago which pushed up the monthly inflation rate marginally in June compared to the previous month.
The month-on-month analysis of CPI for June, 2017 compared with May, 2017 CPI, showed that there were five main groups, where respective indices in this month have increased. Prices of “Food and Beverages” surged by 2.5, “Recreation and Culture” by 2.3 percent, “Transport” by 1.7 percent, “Clothing and Footwear” by 1.0 percent.
“Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 0.5 percent. percent. A decrease in prices is also noticed in “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 0.6 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” and “Restaurants and Hotels “by 0.1 percent each. The other four groups: “Tobacco”, “Health”, “Communication”, and “Education” have remained flat at the last month’s price level.
A year-on-year comparison of the CPI, June, 2017 with the CPI, June, 2016, showed that the general index (CPI), edged-up by 0.8 percent. This (y-o-y) price surge was primarily due to the increasing prices seen in the six groups, namely: “Transport” by 8.9 percent”, “Education” by 3 percent, “Health” by 2.6 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 2.4 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 1.4 percent, “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 1.2 percent.
Also, there was decrease in price levels in five groups, namely: “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 2.9 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 2.2 percent, “Clothing and Footwear” by 1.9 percent, “Recreation and Culture” by 1.8 percent, “Communication” by 0.1 percent. No changes recorded in “Tobacco” group.
The CPI of June, 2017 excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” group stands at 107.6, showing an increase of 1.2 percent when compared to the index of May 2017, and a 2.0 percent when compared to the CPI of June 2016.
