MUSCAT : The rise in inflation was primarily driven by higher prices in several categories, with personal goods and services leading the way, up by 5.5%. Other groups seeing significant increases included health (up 3.2%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 1.9%), and culture and entertainment (up 0.7%). Restaurants and hotels also saw a slight increase of 0.7%, while clothing and footwear prices rose by 0.5%. The furniture, household equipment, and maintenance group rose by 0.3%, and the education group saw a marginal increase of 0.1%.

However, not all sectors experienced price hikes. The transportation group saw a notable decrease of 2.8%, while the housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel groups, as well as communications and tobacco, remained stable.

In the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, the biggest price increase was seen in vegetables, which rose by 11%. Milk, cheese, and eggs saw an increase of 5.4%, and fruits rose by 4.7%. Oils and fats, as well as sugar, jam, honey, and sweets, both rose by 2.4%. On the flip side, the price of fish and seafood decreased by 10.4%, and bread and grains dropped by 0.5%.

Governorate-level data revealed Musandam recorded the highest inflation rate, with a 1.4% rise by the end of November 2024. Other governorates also saw increases, including South Al Sharqiyah (1.2%), Al Wusta (0.9%), and Al Buraimi (0.6%). Muscat, North Al Sharqiyah, Al Dhahirah, and Al Dakhiliyah all saw a 0.5% increase, while Dhofar experienced a smaller rise of 0.4%, and North Al Batinah saw a modest 0.2% increase. The only governorate to experience a decrease was South Al Batinah, with a decline of 0.3%.

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