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Qatar's Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April 2026 stood at 110.61 points, recording a decline of 0.74% compared to March 2026, while rising by 2.62% year-on-year compared to April 2025.The index, which measures inflation, comprises 12 main groups covering 737 goods and services. It is calculated based on the 2018 base year, using data derived from the 2017-2018 Household Income and Expenditure Survey.Data released by the National Planning Council attributed the monthly decline to decreases in "recreation and culture" group by 6.19%, "transport" group by 0.88%, "clothing and footwear" group by 0.61%, "miscellaneous goods and services" group by 0.18%, and "health" group by 0.10%.On the other hand, some groups recorded increases, including "food and beverages" by 1.48%, "housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" by 0.13%, "furniture and household equipment" by 0.12%, and "restaurants and hotels" by 0.07%. No change was recorded in "tobacco", "communications", and "education".On a yearly basis, the data showed increases in eight groups: "miscellaneous goods and services" by 13.82%, "food and beverages" by 10.41%, "clothing and footwear" by 4.71%, "education" by 2.09%, "housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" by 1.62%, "restaurants and hotels" by 0.90%, "furniture and household equipment" by 0.81%, and "communications" by 0.75%.In contrast, the index recorded declines in "recreation and culture" group by 3.18%, "transport group by 0.55%, and "health" group by 0.09%, while "tobacco" group remained unchanged.When calculating the CPI for April 2026 excluding the "housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" group, the index stood at 115.39 points, down 0.92% compared to March 2026, and up 2.84% compared to April 2025.

China's consumer prices ticked up in April as the cost of crude oil rose globally due to the Iran war, official data showed on Monday.Helped by the surging oil costs, factory gate prices also continued to show signs of recovery, rising for a second straight month after being stuck in negative territory since October 2022.However, analysts warn deflation is still a threat for the world's second-largest economy as prices in other sectors continue to fall and overcapacity remains a headache.China's consumer price index (CPI), a key measure of inflation, last month rose 1.2% year-on-year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.The jump was due to "changes in international crude oil prices and increased demand for holiday travel", according to Dong Lijuan, chief NBS statistician.Domestic gas prices rose 19.3% on-year, Dong said, impacted by international commodity price fluctuations.A five-day holiday at the beginning of May also typically sees more travel and spending in the weeks preceding it.However, last month's CPI was still well below the government's two percent target for the year.The April producer price index (PPI), which measures wholesale inflation, increased by 2.8% on-year -- up from 0.5% in March.It beat a Bloomberg forecast of 1.8% and marked the quickest pace since July 2022, when the PPI rose by 4.2% on-year.The gauge slipped into negative territory that October and did not reverse until March."The rise in international crude oil prices drove up prices in domestic petroleum-related sectors," the NBS' Dong said in a statement, listing fuel processing and manufacturing of raw materials.But analysts warn shocks caused by oil blockages in the Middle East are temporary."The fallout from the Iran War pushed up inflation again in April but price pressures remain narrow in scope and aren't likely to build into a wider reflationary impulse", Capital Economics said in a note."(With) overcapacity in most sectors unresolved and domestic demand growth still sluggish, the ingredients for a sustained reflationary impulse still appear to be missing." 

The Sultanate of Oman's consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.1% in September 2025 compared to the same month of 2024 (base year 2018), according to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The average inflation rate during the period from January to September 2025 increased by 0.8%, the data showed. The report indicated that the miscellaneous goods and services group recorded the highest price increase, with an average inflation rate of 6.4% during the first nine months of 2025 and a year-on-year rise of 7.6% in September. This was followed by the transport group, which rose 4.5%, and the restaurants and hotels group, which increased 2.6%. The health group recorded a rise of 0.8%, while prices in the clothing and footwear group went up 0.4%, and the education group edged slightly higher by 0.1%. Prices in the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group, along with the communications and tobacco groups, remained stable without any significant changes. At the governorate level, Al Dhahirah recorded the highest inflation rate at 1.9% by the end of September 2025 compared to the same period of 2024, while Al Wusta registered the lowest rate at 0.4%.

Australia's annual inflation rate rose to its highest level in 12 months in August, with headline inflation climbing to 3%, dashing expectations of an interest rate cut this month.Official data released Wednesday showed the monthly consumer price index (CPI) exceeded forecasts after headline inflation had reached 2.8% in the 12 months to July.However, trimmed mean annual inflation, the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) preferred gauge of core inflation, eased slightly to 2.6% in August from 2.7% the previous month.The RBA had anticipated a sharp pickup in inflation following the expiry of federal government electricity rebates, which left households paying the full cost of energy bills.Michelle Marquardt, head of prices statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, said the annual increase in electricity costs was mainly driven by higher living expenses faced by households in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania in August 2025 compared with the same month in 2024.The inflation data, combined with last week's labor market report showing continued tightness in employment conditions, is expected to prompt the RBA's monetary policy board to keep its policy settings unchanged at its next meeting, maintaining a cautious stance on interest rates.