The inflation rate in the Sultanate in January 2018 increased by 1.05 per cent compared with the same period in 2017. It was also an increase of 0.1 per cent compared with December 2017, according to the latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The rise in the price index in January 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 is due to the rise in prices of major groups, such as housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels by 0.17 per cent, food and non-alcoholic beverages by 1.3 per cent, transportation by 2.53 per cent and furniture, household equipment and routing household maintenance by 1.99 per cent. Education cost also increased by 4.9 per cent, miscellaneous goods and services by 0.62 per cent, health by 1.88 per cent and tobacco by 1.76 per cent.

The prices of the group of restaurants and hotels declined by 0.01 per cent, clothing and footwear by 0.06 per cent and communications by 0.15 per cent during January 2018 compared to the same month in the previous year.

Different governorates
As far as different governorates are concerned, North Al Batinah witnessed the highest increase in inflation at 1.59 per cent, followed by North and South A’Sharqiah at 1.24 per cent, Dhofar at 0.93 per cent, Muscat at 0.89 per cent, A’Dakhiliyah at 0.75 per cent and Buraimi at 0.41 per cent.

Compared with the previous month, the consumer price index increased by 0.1 per cent. Prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels went up by 0.07 per cent, transportation by 1.78 per cent, restaurants and hotels by 0.03 per cent, miscellaneous goods by 0.35 per cent and health by 1.25 per cent.

On the other hand, the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages declined by 1.3 per cent, furniture, household equipment’s and household maintenance by 0.02 per cent, recreation and cultural by 0.05 per cent while prices of communications and education remained stable.