Qatar's Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 107.57 points in January, down 0.97% when compared to CPI in December, the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) said Saturday. 
Compared to CPI of January 2018 (on a year-on-year basis, y-o-y), a decrease of 1.59% has been recorded in the general index in January this year. 
CPI analysis on a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis in January has shown that respective indices have fallen in six main groups: Transport by 5.47%, recreation and culture (4.34%), health (1.02%), restaurants and hotels (0.76%), communication (0.13%), and housing, water, electricity and gas (0.07%). 
On the other hand, an increase was shown on tobacco by 127.19%, clothing and footwear (2.97%), furniture and household equipment (0.73%), miscellaneous goods and services (0.34%), and food and beverages by (0.16%). 
The education group has remained flat at the last month’s price level.
The 1.59% decrease in the CPI on a y-o-y basis was primarily due to the reducing prices in eights groups such as communication (11.45%), recreation and culture (5.05%), clothing and footwear (4.04%), housing, water, electricity and other fuel (2.67%), food and beverages (2.51%), transport (2.12%), restaurants and hotels (0.13%), and miscellaneous goods and services (0.04%). 
Increase in price levels was seen in four groups such as tobacco (127.19%), education (9.25%), furniture and household equipment (1.33%) and health (0.10%).
The CPI of January excluding housing, water, electricity and other fuel group stood at 107.94 points, showing a decrease of 1.21% compared to December 2018, and a 1.29% decrease compared to the CPI of January, 2018, the PSA said.

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