​The rate of inflation in the Sultanate in January 2018 increased by 1.05% compared with the same period in 2017.  It was also an increase by 0.1% compared with December 2017, according to the latest data released by the Centre about the consumer price index.

The rise in the price index in January 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 is due to the rise in prices of major groups such as housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels by 0.17%, food and non-alcoholic beverages by 1.3%, transportation by 2.53% and furniture, household equipment and routing household maintenance by 1.99%. Education cost also increased by 4.9%, miscellaneous goods and services by 0.62%, health by 1.88% and tobacco by 1.76%. The prices of the group of restaurants and hotels decreased by 0.01%, clothing and footwear by 0.06% and communications by 0.15% during January 2018 compared to the same month in the previous year.

At the governorates' level, North Al Batinah saw highest increase in inflation by 1.59%, followed by the governorates of North and South Al Sharqia by 1.24%, Dhofar governorate by 0.93%, Muscat governorate by 0.89% and Al Dakhliya by 0.75% and Al Buraimi by 0.41%. Compared with the previous month, the consumer price index increased by 0.1%. Prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels went up by 0.07%, transportation by 1.78%, restaurants and hotels by 0.03%, miscellaneous goods by 0.35% and health by 1.25%. On the other hand, the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages declined by 1.3%, furniture, household equipment's and household maintenance by 0.02%, recreation and cultural by 0.05% while prices of communications and education remained stable.

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