Official data reported that the Qatar consumer price index increased 2.28 percent in January compared to the previous year, and recorded a decline of 2.22 percent compared to the last month.
The December drop was the most significant, with an 11.97 percent fall in the recreation and culture prices and a drop in miscellaneous goods and services, restaurants and hotels, clothing, food, and housing-related costs, Qatar News Agency reported basing on the statistics presented by the National Planning Council.
The December drop was the most significant, with an 11.97 percent fall in the recreation and culture prices and a fall in miscellaneous goods and services, restaurants and hotels, clothing, food, and housing-related costs, Qatar News Agency reported basing on the statistics presented by the National Planning Council.
Qatar’s inflation is kept relatively low relative to broader international price fluctuations with the aid of fixed housing prices and state subsidies. Regional trends are also mixed, with Saudi inflation moderating to 1.8 percent in January and the annual Egyptian rate dropping to 10.1 percent amidst the rising monthly prices.
QNA stated, “The annual increase, comparing January 2026 with the same month in 2025, was driven by rises in eight groups,” adding that the largest year-on-year raise were witnessed in miscellaneous goods and services, which rose 12.40 percent.
The transport group had the highest price increase of 0.54 percent, followed by communication with 0.32 percent and health with 0.27 percent. Furniture and household equipment increased 0.20 percent, and education increased 0.06 percent, with tobacco remaining unchanged.
This was interceded by recreation and culture at 4.90 percent and clothing and footwear at 3.25 percent. Food and beverages increased 2.87 percent, furniture and household equipment 2.37 percent, education 2.08 percent, housing and utilities 1.21 percent, and communication 0.40 percent.
QNA further indicated that three groups saw annual declines: restaurants and hotels, down 2 percent; health, down 1.38 percent; and transport, down 0.48 percent, while the tobacco group remained the same.
QNA report stated, “When calculating the CPI for January 2026 excluding the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group, the index reached 114.57 points, down by 2.65 percent compared with December 2025, and up by 2.51 percent compared with January 2025.”
The index, which measures inflation in 12 primary expenditure categories that encompass 737 goods and services, is anchored on 2018 as its representative year, which is based on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey carried out in 2017-2018.
