RIYADH: Qatar’s annual inflation rate rose in April, with the country’s Consumer Price Index reaching 105.52 points in what was a year-on-year increase of 3.68 percent, the latest data from the Planning and Statistics Authority showed. The rise in consumer prices was primarily driven by the recreation and culture sector which recorded a price rise of 15.34 percent in April compared to the same month of 2022, while housing, water, electricity and other fuel prices rose by 7.72 percent in the same period. The report further noted that furniture and household equipment prices increased by 7.72 percent, followed by clothing and footwear prices which went up by 2.49 percent. The prices of food and beverages increased annually by 1.71 percent in April, while prices for education and health rose by 1.64 percent and 1.41 percent respectively. Qatar calculates CPI, which is a measure of inflation, using the prices of 12 main groups of consumer goods that have a total of 737 commodities and services. It is calculated using the base year 2018, based on the data of the household income and expenditure survey 2017-2018. Qatar’s April CPI figure was 0.3 percent lower than in March 2023. The slight decrease was attributed to transport fees, which fell by 2.29 percent, followed by clothing and footwear prices, which were down by 1.05 percent. Compared to March, furniture and household equipment prices increased by 4.43 percent in April, while prices for recreation and culture rose by 1.32 percent. Qatar’s CPI report comes as the International Monetary Fund’s latest report forecasts the Gulf nation’s headline and core inflation will stay lower than emerging markets, middle-income countries and low-income countries. This is mainly due to subsidies and caps on certain products, and the strengthening of the US dollar to which the Qatari riyal is pegged. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics earlier this month revealed that the Kingdom’s inflation rate was unchanged at 2.7 percent in April, compared to March 2023. In regard to Dubai, its inflation slowed to its lowest level in 13 months in April to reach 3.27 percent, driven by decelerating transportation and food prices.