Muscat, Price level for consumer goods and services (excluding
housing) in the GCC countries rose by 3.7% during December 2018, according to figures
released today by GCC-Stat, the Statistical Centre for Cooperation Council of the Arab
Countries of the Gulf.
The biggest increases were for tobacco 10.3%, transport 6.2%, restaurant and hotels by
6.0%, food 3.8%, furnishings 3.6%, health 2.8%, recreation 2.1%, education 2.0%, clothing
and footwear 1.9%, communication 1.7%, and miscellaneous services 1.0%.
In terms of contributions to the 3.7 percent annual increase, food and transport
contributed 1.0 percentage points each, restaurant and hotels 0.5 percentage points,
furnishings 0.4 percentage points, education 0.2 percentage points, tobacco, clothing
and footwear, health, communication, recreation and miscellaneous 0.1 percentage
points each.
Over the 12 months to December 2018, the contributions to overall GCC consumer price
change were almost exclusively from Saudi Arabia and UAE, with 4.2 and 1.0 percentage
points of the total 3.7 percent. Kuwait contributed 0.1 percentage points, while Bahrain, the
Sultanate and Qatar all contributed less than 0.1 percent this month.
GCC overall consumer price have decreased slightly in December 2018 compared with
the previous month by 0.2%. The most significant price decreases during December
2018 were in transport group by 0.7%, food 0.5%, clothing -0.2%, and communication –
0.1%. In contrast, recreation prices increased by 1.0%, tobacco 0.2%, health,
education, and restaurant and hotels 0.1% each, while there is no change of prices in
furnishings, and miscellaneous compared with the previous month.
Source: Oman News Agency