March Consumer Price Index Decreases in Qatar

Doha, April 15 (QNA) - Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of March 2019 reached to 107.73 point (base year is 2013), showing a decrease of 0.03 percent when compared to CPI of February 2019. Compared to CPI of March 2018, Y-o-Y basis, a decrease of 1.31 percent has been recorded in the general index (CPI) of this month. The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that an analysis on M-o-M basis of CPI for March 2019 compared with February 2019 CPI, shows that there are three main groups, where respective indices in this month have decreased, namely: Recreation and Culture by 2.39 percent, Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 0.31 percent, and Restaurants and Hotels by 0.11 percent. An increase had shown on Clothing and Footwear by 2.09 percent, followed by Food and Beverages by 0.28 percent, and Transport by 0.85 percent. Tobacco, Housing, Water, Electricity and Gas, Furniture and Household Equipment, Health, Communication, and Education groups had remained flat at the last months price level. A comparison of the CPI, March 2019 with the CPI, March 2018 (Annual Change), a decrease has been recorded in the general index (CPI), by 1.31 percent. This Y-o-Y price decrease is primarily due to the decreasing prices seen in the six groups, namely: Communication by 11.45 percent, followed by Recreation and Culture by 7.35 percent, Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel by 2.33 percent, Transport by 2.30 percent, Food and Beverages by 0.58 percent, and Restaurants and Hotels by 0.19 percent. Also, there has been an increase in price levels in six groups namely: Tobacco by 127.19 percent, Education by 9.25 percent, Clothing and Footwear by 1.87 percent, Furniture and Household Equipment by 1.32 percent, Health and Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 0.10 percent each. Regards the contribution relative, which is a percentage reflects the different contribution of the main groups on the CPI annual rate. For the month of March 2019, noticed that the Recreation and Culture had the highest contribution on same direction of CPI annual rate, by 68.85 percent, followed by Communication by 46.21 percent. In opposite direction of CPI annual rate, Education contributed by 46.51 percent. The CPI of March 2019 excluding Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel group stands at 108.05 points showing a decrease of 0.04 percent when compared to the index of February 2019, and a 1.02 percent when compared to the CPI of March 2018. (QNA)