Qatar's inflation edges up 0.8% in February

Doha: Qatar's inflation for February on an annual basis was 0.8 percent, data from the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics showed yesterday.

The consumer price index (CPI) of February, 2018 reached to 109.3 (base year is 2013) showing a constancy, when compared to CPI of January, 2017.

An analysis on m-o-m basis of CPI for February, 2018 compared with January, 2017 CPI, shows that there are three main groups where respective indices have increased, namely: by 'Recreation and Culture by 4 percent, followed by 'Clothing and Footwear and 'Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 0.1 percent each.

A decrease in prices is also noticed in 'Housing, Water, Electricity and Gas by 0.3 percent and 'Food and Beverages by 0.1 percent. Other groups have remained flat at the last months price level.

On an annual basis, increases have been recorded in the general index (CPI), by 0.8 percent. This increase was primarily due to a rise in seven groups.

Transport was the biggest gainer, rising by 7.9 percent. The other categories that rose during the same period were Health by 5.3 percent, Food and Beverages by 3.9 percent, Clothing and Footwear by 3.4 percent.

Furniture and Household Equipment and Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 1.0 percent each, and Education by 0.9 percent.

Also there has been a decrease in price levels in three groups, namely: 'Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel by 5.1 percent, 'Communication by 1.1 percent, 'Restaurants and Hotels by 0.5 percent.

'Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel had the highest contribution by -139.29 percent from the annual change of CPI. This is followed by 'Transport which contributed by 146.43 percent in the CPI annual change,

'Food and Beverages contributed by 52.38 percent, 'Clothing and Footwear contributed by 19.05 percent. other groups contribution were between -7.14 percent to 9.52 percent.

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