By Mohammad Shoeb
DOHA: The cost of education, recreation and culture has increased between six and seven percent from a year ago which pushed up Qatar’s inflation rate by 2.8 percent last month compared to the same period last year. The annual inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) in July 2016 stood at 2.8 percent. Compared on monthly basis, the overall prices of consumer goods and services in July witnessed a marginal increase of 0.8 percent against the previous month.
According to data released by the Ministry of Development Planning & Statistics, the general CPI for July 2016 was estimated at 108.5, showing an increase of less than one percent compared to 107.6 CPI of June 2016.
A month-on-month analysis of CPI for July compared with June CPI showed that there were seven main groups, where respective indices in July had risen.
The main groups that witnessed increase in prices in July were: ‘Transport’ (by 2.8 percent); ‘Recreation and Culture’ (2.4 percent); ‘Miscellaneous Goods and Services’ (1.5 percent); ‘Furniture and Household Equipment’ (1.0 percent); ‘Clothing and Footwear’ (0.4 percent); ‘Food and Beverages’ (0.2 percent); and ‘Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel’ (0.1 percent).
A decline in prices was also noticed in ‘Restaurants and Hotels’ by 0.3 percent. The prices of goods and services grouped under ‘Tobacco[; ‘Health’; ‘Communication]; and ‘Education’ have remained flat at the last month’s price level.
The year-on-year comparison of the CPI for July with the CPI for July, 2015 show that the general index increased by 2.8 percent primarily due to increase in the cost of education, recreation and the prices of fuel, utilities and some other goods and services.
The eight groups which witnessed an annual increase in prices were: ‘Education’ (by 7.1 percent); ‘Recreation and Culture’ (6.1 percent)’ ‘Miscellaneous Goods and Services’ (4.8 percent); ‘Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel’ (4.1 percent); ‘Transport’ (3.3 percent)’ ‘Furniture and Household Equipment’ (1.5 percent); ‘Clothing and Footwear’ (0.7 percent); and ‘Communication’ (by 0.1 percent).
The Peninsula
