JEDDAH: Oman’s consumer prices rose 3.2 percent year on year in April, pointing to a steady but contained rise in inflation, driven mainly by higher costs in essential goods and services, according to official data.
Figures from the National Center for Statistics and Information, or NCSI, showed that average inflation between January and April increased by 2.6 percent, the Oman News Agency reported.
Regionally, inflation trends remained mixed, with Saudi Arabia recording a 1.7 percent rise in consumer prices in April, while Kuwait posted 2.06 percent in March. Qatar’s latest available reading stood at 2.51 percent in February, and Bahrain recorded 1.1 percent in March.
The ONA said: “The data showed that the miscellaneous personal goods and services group topped the list of groups with the highest increase at 9.2 percent, followed by the food and non-alcoholic beverages group with an increase of 6.2 percent.”
The transport group recorded a 6 percent rise, followed by restaurants and hotels at 4.5 percent. Furniture, furnishings, household equipment and maintenance increased 3 percent, while education prices rose 2.2 percent.
It added: “Prices of the health group also increased by 1.8 percent, and the recreation and culture group by 0.2 percent, while prices remained stable for the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group, the clothing and footwear group, the telecommunications group, and the tobacco group.”
Food prices remained one of the clearest drivers of inflation. Within the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, costs rose across most categories in April compared with the same period in 2025, led by vegetables, which surged 25 percent, followed by fruits at 11.6 percent and fish and seafood at 6.1 percent.
Meat prices increased by 3.7 percent, while non-alcoholic beverages rose by 3.4 percent. Sugar, jam, honey, and confectionery went up 3 percent; milk, cheese and eggs increased 2.5 percent, and bread and cereals as well as other food products rose 1.6 percent. Oils and fats recorded a marginal increase of 0.9 percent.
Inflation also varied across Oman’s governorates. By the end of April, Al-Dhahirah saw the highest increase at 4.4 percent, followed by Al-Dakhiliyah and Muscat at 3.7 percent each, and Al-Buraimi at 3.5 percent.
Al-Wusta recorded a 3 percent rise, followed by Musandam at 2.9 percent and South Al-Batinah at 2.6 percent. North Al-Sharqiyah and South Al-Sharqiyah each registered 2.5 percent, while North Al-Batinah and Dhofar posted the lowest increases at 1.9 percent each.
