DOHA: The CPI-based monthly inflation has shown a marginal increase of 0.10 percent in December 2018 compared to the CPI of November 2018. When compared on yearly basis (with the CPI of December 2017), a decrease of 0.29 percent has been recorded in the general index (CPI) in December, official data show.
According to the data released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA), which released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of December 2018, the CPI of December 2018 stood at 108.62 point (at the base year prices of 2013).
An analysis on M-o-M basis of CPI for December 2018 compared with November 2018 CPI, shows that there are three main groups, where respective indices in this month have increased, namely: Recreation and Culture” by 3.92 percent, “Transport” by 1.72 percent, and “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by .0.46 percent. A decrease had shown on “Clothing and Footwear” by 8.22 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 2.15 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 0.10 percent, and “Housing, Water, Electricity and Gas” by 0.02 percent.
The groups of “Tobacco”, “Furniture and Household Equipment”, “Health”, “Communication”, and “Education” have remained flat at the last month’s price level.
A comparison of the CPI, December 2018 with the CPI, December 2017 (annual change), a decrease has been recorded in the general index (CPI), by 0.29 percent. This Y-o-Y price decrease is primarily due to the decreasing prices seen in the five groups, namely: “Communication” by 11.31 percent, followed by “Clothing and Footwear” by 5.00 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 3.73 percent, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 2.58 percent, and “Recreation and Culture” by 1.35 percent. Also, there has been an increase in price levels in six groups namely: “Education” by 9.20 percent, “Transport” by 5.49 percent, “Health” by 3.37 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 1.66 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 0.42 percent, and “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 0.40 percent, “Tobacco” prices remained at the same level.
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 December, 2018, noticed that the “Transport” had the highest contribution on opposite direction of CPI annual rate, by 310.59 percent, followed by “Education” by 210.41 percent, “Communication” also contribute by 207.52 percent but in same direction of CPI annual rate.
The CPI of December , 2018 excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” group stands at 109.26 points showing an increase of 0.14 percent when compared to the index of November 2018, and a 0.29 percent when compared to the CPI of December, 2017.
