OMAN’S consumer prices rose 3.2 per cent 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 Centre for Statistics and Information, or NCSI, showed that average inflation between January and April increased by 2.6pc, the Oman News Agency reported.
Regionally, inflation trends remained mixed, with Saudi Arabia recording a 1.7pc rise in consumer prices in April, while Kuwait posted 2.06pc in March. Qatar’s latest available reading stood at 2.51pc in February, and Bahrain recorded 1.1pc 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 9.2pc, followed by the food and non-alcoholic beverages group with an increase of 6.2pc.”
The transport group recorded a 6pc rise, followed by restaurants and hotels at 4.5pc. Furniture, furnishings, household equipment and maintenance increased 3pc, while education prices rose 2.2pc.
It added: “Prices of the health group also increased by 1.8pc, and the recreation and culture group by 0.2pc, 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 25pc, followed by fruits at 11.6pc and fish and seafood at 6.1pc.
Meat prices increased by 3.7pc, while non-alcoholic beverages rose by 3.4pc. Sugar, jam, honey, and confectionery went up 3pc; milk, cheese and eggs increased 2.5pc, and bread and cereals as well as other food products rose 1.6pc. Oils and fats recorded a marginal increase of 0.9pc.
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