Doha: Qatar’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed a marginal increase of 0.83 percent in May compared to previous month (April 2021), reaching at 98.05 points.
When compared on annual basis, the consumer prices in Qatar (as per the general CPI index) in May have also increased by 2.47 percent compared to the CPI of the same month in 2020, latest data released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) show.
A month-on-month analysis of the CPI for May 2021 compared with CPI of April 2021, showed that there were five main groups, where respective indices during this month have increased, namely: “Recreation and Culture” by 10.97 percent, followed by “Clothing and Footwear” by 2.77 percent, Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 1.10 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 1.09 percent, “and “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 0.09 percent.
However, a decrease has been recorded in the following groups: “Transport” by 1.46 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 1.23 percent, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 0.74 percent, and “Education” by 0.06 percent. “Tobacco”, “Health”, and “Communication” had remained flat at last month’s price level.
A comparison of the CPI of May 2021 with the CPI of May 2020 (Annual Change), showed an increase has been recorded in the general index (CPI), by 2.47 percent.
This y-o-y price increase was primarily due to the prices rising in eight groups namely: “Transport” by 13.15 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 5.6 percent, Communication” by 4.03 percent, “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 3.93 percent, “Education” by 3.72 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 3.46 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 3.27 percent, and “Recreation and Culture” by 2.28 percent.
While a decrease has been shown in price levels of three groups namely: “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 6.17 percent, “Clothing and Footwear” by 3.31 percent, and “Health” by 0.07 percent. No change was recorded on “Tobacco”.
The CPI of May 2021, excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” group stood at 100.85 points showing an increase of 1.20 percent, when compared to the index of April 2021, and an increase of 4.72 percent when compared to the CPI of May 2020.
