Oman Inflation Hits 3.4% as Transport and Food Prices Rise

Muscat- (ONA): The inflation rate in the Sultanate of Oman reached 3.4 percent in August 2026, compared with the corresponding month of 2025, according to Consumer Price Index data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information. The average inflation rate for the period from January to August 2026 stood at 2.9 percent.

The data showed price movements across most main groups. The transport group recorded the highest year-on-year increase at 8.5 percent, followed by the food and non-alcoholic beverages group at 7 percent, and then the miscellaneous personal goods and services group at 6.1 percent.

Prices also rose in the restaurants and hotels group by 3.6 percent, the furniture, household equipment, and routine household maintenance group by 3.1 percent, the education group by 2.2 percent, the health group by 1.7 percent, the culture and recreation group by 0.4 percent, and the clothing and footwear group by 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile, prices in the communications and tobacco groups remained stable, with no change compared with August of last year, while prices in the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group declined by 0.6 percent. At the governorate level, A’Dhahirah Governorate recorded the highest inflation rate in the Sultanate of Oman during August 2026 at 4.8 percent, followed by Muscat Governorate at 3.9 percent, A’Dakhiliyah Governorate at 3.8 percent, and Al Wusta Governorate at 3.4 percent.

The inflation rate in both Musandam and Al Buraimi Governorates reached 3.3 percent each, South A’Sharqiyah Governorate recorded 3.1 percent, and South Al Batinah Governorate recorded 2.7 percent. North Al Batinah Governorate recorded 2.5 percent, North A’Sharqiyah Governorate recorded 2.2 percent, and Dhofar Governorate recorded the lowest inflation rate among the governorates at 2.1 percent.

With regard to the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, the data showed an increase in the prices of a number of sub-groups compared with August 2025. Vegetable prices rose by 19 percent, fruits by 16.3 percent, meat by 9.8 percent, non-alcoholic beverages by 3.5 percent, and food products not classified elsewhere by 3.1 percent. Prices also rose for milk, cheese, and eggs by 3 percent; sugar, jam, honey, and sweets by 2.3 percent; bread and cereals by 0.8 percent; and oils and fats by 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, fish prices declined by 0.1 percent compared with the corresponding month of 2025.