Indicating the strong macroeconomic framework, Qatar’s real economic growth during 2013-15 has consistently been above the world average and inflation largely below the international levels, according to official data.
Although the inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) growth has been decelerating during the review period, it is still higher than that in the world and advanced economies, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) said in its ‘Window on Economic Statistics’, released yesterday.
Qatar, whose diversification efforts proved to be successful with higher growth being captured in non-hydrocarbons, registered a 4.6% expansion in 2013, which fell to 4% in 2014 and further to 3.7% in 2015. In comparison, the world average growth was 3.3%, 3.4% and 3.1% respectively during the period in review.
The advanced economies managed to grow 1.2% in 2013, 1.8% in 2014 and 1.9% in 2015. 
In the case of emerging and developing Europe, the real GDP growth has been 2.8%, 2.8% and 3.5% respectively during the review period.
Similarly, Qatar’s growth also outpaced Latin America and the Caribbean, whose economic expansion was 2.8%, 2.8% and 3.5% respectively. So was the case with Middle East and North Africa, where the growth was estimated at 2.1%, 2.6% and 2.3% respectively. However, emerging and developing Asia by far outclassed Qatar as their real GDP growth was faster at 6.8%, 6.8% and 6.6% respectively. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the growth was 5.2%, 5.1% and 3.4% respectively.
Referring to the consumer price index (CPI), MDPS said Qatar’s inflation rose 3.2% in 2013, which then hardened to 3.4% in the subsequent year, but only to moderate to 1.6% in 2015 compared to the word average of 3.6%, 3.4% and 3.3% respectively.
In the case of advanced economies, inflation was rather stagnant at 1.4% in 2013 and 2014 but only to weaken perceptibly to 0.3% in 2015. Inflation in the Middle East and North Africa was well above the Qatar’s level as it reportedly expanded 9.3%, 6.6% and 5.9% respectively between 2013 and 2015. Thus, the region witnessed highest inflation among the economies in the world.
Sub-Saharan Africa saw inflation spurt 6.6% in 2013, 6.4% in 2014 and 7% in 2015; emerging markets and developing economies reported general price level pick up of 5.8%, 5.1% and 5.5% respectively.
Emerging and developing Asia witnessed inflation grow 4.7% in 2013, 3.5% in the subsequent year and 2.9% in 2015, MDPS figures revealed.
Emerging and developing Europe as well as Latin America and the Caribbean witnessed similar inflation path as general price levels rose 4.3% in 2013, 3.8% in 2014 and 2.9% in 2015.


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