MUSCAT — The general Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the Sultanate of Oman recorded an increase of 3.6 percent in March compared to the same month in 2025, based on the 2018 base year.
Data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) indicated that the average inflation rate during the first quarter of this year, spanning from January to March, rose by 2.3 percent. The data showed that the miscellaneous personal goods and services sector topped the list of increases, recording a price rise of 13.8 percent, followed by the transport sector at 9.4 percent, the Restaurants and Hotels sector at 5.8 percent, and the food and non-alcoholic beverages sector at 4.3 percent. Additionally, the furniture, household equipment, and routine household maintenance sector saw a 3 percent increase, while the education sector rose by 2.2 percent.
Prices for the health sector also rose by 1.7 percent and the culture and recreation sector by 0.2 percent, while the clothing and footwear sector recorded a slight increase of 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, prices for the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels sector, the communications sector, and the Tobacco sector remained stable without any significant change.
Regarding the food and non-alcoholic beverages group in March 2026 compared to the same month in 2025, increases were recorded across most categories, led by vegetables at 15.6 percent, followed by Fruits at 10.7 percent, and non-alcoholic beverages at 3.4 percent. Prices for fish and seafood rose by 3.1 percent, sugar, jam, honey, and confectionery by 2.9 percent, milk, cheese, and eggs by 2.4 percent, meat by 1.8 percent, bread and cereals by 1.2 percent, food products not elsewhere classified by 1 percent, and oils and fats by 0.8 percent.
The data further revealed varying inflation rates across Oman’s governorates at the end of March 2026 compared to the same period last year. Muscat Governorate recorded the highest increase at 4.5 percent, followed by A’Dhahirah Governorate at 4.2 percent, A’Dakhiliyah Governorate at 4.1 percent, and Al Buraimi Governorate at 3.9 percent. Musandam Governorate recorded an increase of 3.1 percent, South Al Batinah Governorate 3 percent, while the increase reached 2.8 percent in Al Wusta Governorate and 2.7 percent in South A’Sharqiyah Governorate. North A’Sharqiyah Governorate saw an increase of 2.6 percent, Dhofar Governorate 1.8 percent and North Al Batinah Governorate 1.7 percent.
(Source: ONA)
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