Average inflation in Qatar

Measures the change in prices of a representative basket of goods and services bought by Qatari households. Published by the Planning and Statistics Authority, it is the country's main measure of inflation.

Compiled from a regular price survey of retail outlets, weighting each item by its share of household spending on an index with a base year of 100. It is reported as an annual (YoY) and monthly (MoM) change.

Inflation affects purchasing power in an economy heavily reliant on natural gas. Because the Qatari riyal is pegged to the US dollar, the Qatar Central Bank tends to shadow US Federal Reserve policy, leaving limited room to respond to domestic inflation.

It covers only the selected basket, and housing rents carry a large weight that can move the index independently of the rest of consumption. Core inflation, excluding energy and fresh food, gives a clearer read on the underlying trend.