Muscat: According to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the inflation rate within the Sultanate of Oman increased by 1.5% as of the end of July 2024, as reflected in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures.
These figures reveal a notable rise in the cost of living across various sectors. Specifically, the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages saw an increase of 4.5%, while miscellaneous goods and services experienced a 3.1% hike. Health-related expenses rose by 2.4%, and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels saw a 1.7% increase. The culture and entertainment sector also saw a marginal increase of 0.8%, with restaurants and hotels experiencing a 0.6% rise. Clothing and footwear saw a decrease of 0.3%, and furniture, household equipment, and routine home maintenance saw a 0.3% increase.
Conversely, the cost of transportation and education saw a decrease of 1.7% and 0.4%, respectively. The prices of tobacco and communication goods and services remained stable.
Within the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, there was a significant increase in the prices of vegetables by 20%, fruits by 7.6%, milk, cheese, and eggs by 4.7%, meat by 2.2%, sugar, jam, honey, and sweets by 2%, fish and seafood by 1.8%, foodstuff by 1.6%, oils by 1.3%, non-alcoholic beverages by 1%, and bread and grains by 0.7%.
At the end of July 2024, the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah recorded the highest inflation rate compared to the same period of the previous year, with an increase of 2.3%. This was followed by an increase of 2.2% in the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah, 2.1% in Musandam and Al Wusta, 2% in the Governorate of North Al Batinah, 1.7% in Dhofar, 1.6% in South Al Batinah and Al Buraimi, 1.5% in A’Dhahirah, 1.3% in A’Dakhiliyah, and 1.2% in the Governorate of Muscat.
