Qatar’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August 2024 registered at 107.47 points, reflecting a 0.34 percent increase from July 2024. When compared year-over-year to August 2023, the general index shows a rise of 1.15 percent.

In a statement, the National Planning Council noted that when assessing the key components of the CPI for August 2024 against July 2024 (monthly comparison), five categories experienced increases, four saw declines, and three remained stable.

Categories with increases

The categories that increased include: “Communication” by 9.23 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 1.29 percent, “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 0.77 percent, “Transport” by 0.28 percent, and “Restaurants and Hotels” by 0.27 percent.

Categories with decreases

Moreover, declines, QNA reported, were observed in “Clothing and Footwear” by 1.59 percent, “Recreation and Culture” by 1.24 percent, “Housing, Water, Electricity and Other Fuel” by 0.72 percent, and “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 0.14 percent. The categories of “Tobacco,” “Health,” and “Education” remained unchanged from the previous month’s prices.

Year-over-year comparison

When comparing the CPI for August 2024 to that of August 2023 (annual change), there was an overall increase of 1.15 percent. This year-over-year price rise was primarily driven by increases in six categories: “Recreation and Culture” by 10.65 percent, “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 5.30 percent, “Communication” by 3.51 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 2.54 percent, “Education” by 1.77 percent, and “Transport” by 1.02 percent.

Read more: Qatar introduces flexible remote work for government sector effective September 9, 2024

Price level decreases

Price levels decreased in “Housing, Water, Electricity and Other Fuel” by 3.74 percent, “Health” by 1.63 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 1.58 percent, “Clothing and Footwear” by 1.22 percent, and “Food and Beverages” by 0.88 percent. No changes were noted in “Tobacco.”

The CPI for August 2024, excluding the “Housing, Water, Electricity and Other Fuel” category, stands at 111.52 points, marking a 0.58 percent increase compared to the index from July 2024. Furthermore, in comparison to the index from August 2023, this figure represents a 2.31 percent increase.

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