Doha: The CPI-based monthly inflation in September 2020 witnessed a marginal increase of 0.27 percent compared to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of August 2020.
When compared on annual basis with the CPI of September 2019, the general price index (or inflation) has decreased by 2.97 percent, official data show.
According to data released yesterday by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of September 2020 stood at 96.45 point.
A monthly analysis of CPI for September 2020 compared with CPI, August 2020, shows that there are six main groups, where respective indices in this month have increased, namely: “Recreation and Culture” by 2.23 percent, “Clothing and Footwear” by 1.55 percent, “Transport” by 1.39 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 0.13 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” and “Education” slightly increased (almost stable) by 0.01 percent each. A decrease has been recorded in “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 1.17 percent and “Food and Beverages” by 0.97 percent. “Tobacco”, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel”, “Health”, and “Communication” had remained flat at the last month’s price level.
When compared on year-on-year basis, the CPI of September 2020 versus the CPI of September 2019, a decrease has been recorded in the general index by 2.97 percent. This year-on-year price decrease was primarily due to the prices decline in six groups namely: “Recreation and Culture” by 20.98 percent, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 4.75 percent, “Clothing and Footwear” by 4.25 percent, “Communication” by 0.81 percent, “Food and Beverages” by 0.27 percent, and “Transport” by 0.13 percent. An increase has been shown in price levels in also six groups namely: “Tobacco “by 8.37 percent, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 4.43 percent, “Education” by 1.78 percent, “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 1.48 percent, “Health” by 0.95 percent, and “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 0.60 percent.
The CPI of September, 2020 excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” group stands at 97.73 points showing an increase of 0.35 percent when compared to the index of August 2020, and a decrease of 2.41 percent when compared to the CPI of September 2019.
This release of CPI, is the ninth issuance using the new base of 2018, calculated from the results of the household income and Expenditure survey 2017/2018. Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (CIOCOP) has been used, which divided the prices basket to twelve main groups, started with “Food and Nonalcoholic beverages” group, and to end up with “Miscellaneous goods and Services” group. 737 commodities and services have been covered all the groups.
Looking at the relative importance of the base year 2018, it has been found that, the pattern of households did not change much during the previous five years, since the relative importance between 2013 and 2018 was almost equal during the period, and no major change was observed on them, the groups of “Food and Beverages”, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel”, “Transport”, and “Recreation and Culture” still considered as the most important to consumer families.
