• Kuwait recorded the highest inflation rate among GCC countries in September compared to the same month in 2023, reaching 2.8%, followed by Saudi Arabia at 1.7%, Qatar at 0.8%, and Bahrain and Oman at 0.4% each.
Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf reported on Monday that consumer price data revealed a 1.5% rise in the general inflation rate across GCC countries at the end of September, compared to the same month in 2023, as reported by Q8-Press.
The center explained in a report that the rise is primarily attributed to the housing group, which recorded an increase of 5.7%, followed by the culture and entertainment group at 2.6%, the goods and services group at 1.8%, the restaurants and hotels group at 1.5%, and both the food and beverage group and the education group, which rose by 1% each.
On the other hand, the report noted a decrease in the prices of the transport group by 3%, furniture and household equipment by 2.3%, tobacco by 1.2%, telecommunications by 0.9%, and clothing and footwear by 0.8%, while the prices of the health group remained unchanged.
It added that Kuwait recorded the highest inflation rate among GCC countries in September compared to the same month in 2023, reaching 2.8%, followed by Saudi Arabia at 1.7%, Qatar at 0.8%, and Bahrain and Oman at 0.4% each.
The report highlighted that the overall Gulf inflation rate was lower than the European Union’s inflation rate of 2.1% and also lower than that of many of the GCC’s major trading partners for total commodity imports.
It further pointed out that Brazil recorded the highest inflation rate last September compared to the same month in 2023 at 4.4%, followed by India at 4.2%, the United Kingdom at 2.6%, Japan at 2.5%, the United States at 2.4%, and both Germany and South Korea at 1.6%.
Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf was established and is headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman as the officially accredited body for data, information, and statistics related to GCC countries. It also aims to enhance statistical and informational work in national statistical centers and planning bodies across these countries.
