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Qatar’s Annual Inflation Increases

The price index rose in Qatar by annual measure until last March. (QNA)
The price index rose in Qatar by annual measure until last March. (QNA)
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Qatar’s Annual Inflation Increases

The price index rose in Qatar by annual measure until last March. (QNA)
The price index rose in Qatar by annual measure until last March. (QNA)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Qatar registered a 4.01% annual increase in March, compared to the CPI of March 2022, reaching 105.55 points.

On monthly basis, the CPI showed an increase of 0.20% when compared to the CPI of February 2023.

The increase has been recorded in the general index primarily due to the prices rising in eight groups namely: Recreation and Culture by 13.63%, followed by Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel by 8.65%, Clothing and Footwear by 4.90%, Education by 2.61%, Transport by 2.50%, Restaurants and Hotels by 2.25%, Health by 1.62%, and Food and Beverages by 1.06%.

A decrease has been shown in price levels in Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 0.34%, Communication by 4.84%, and Furniture and Household Equipment by 0.30%.

No changes were recorded on Tobacco.

When comparing the main components of CPI of March 2023, with the previous month (Monthly change), the groups that showed an increase included: Clothing and Footwear by 1.56%, followed by Recreation and Culture by 1.44%, Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel by 1.09%, Miscellaneous Goods and Services by 0.75%, and Transport by 0.53%.

A decrease has been recorded in Restaurants and Hotels by 1.90%, followed by Education by 1.58%, Food and Beverages by 1.08%, and Furniture and Household Equipment by 0.22%. Tobacco, Health, and Communication had remained flat at the last month's price level.

The CPI of March 2023 excluding Housing, Water, Electricity, and other Fuel group stands at 107.42 points, recording a decrease (almost stable) by 0.02% when compared to the index of February 2023. Compared with its counterpart in 2022, the CPI of the March index increased by 2.93%.

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World Bank: Earthquake Worsens Myanmar's Economic Decline

This photo taken on May 8, 2025 shows a worker walking past sacks of rice in a warehouse on the outskirts of Zalun township in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta region. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)
This photo taken on May 8, 2025 shows a worker walking past sacks of rice in a warehouse on the outskirts of Zalun township in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta region. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)
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World Bank: Earthquake Worsens Myanmar's Economic Decline

This photo taken on May 8, 2025 shows a worker walking past sacks of rice in a warehouse on the outskirts of Zalun township in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta region. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)
This photo taken on May 8, 2025 shows a worker walking past sacks of rice in a warehouse on the outskirts of Zalun township in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta region. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP)

Myanmar's beleaguered economy is expected to contract by 2.5 percent in the 2025/26 fiscal year largely due to the devastating impact of a powerful earthquake in late March, the World Bank said in a report on Thursday.

The World Bank said direct damages to property and infrastructure from the 7.7 magnitude quake were estimated at $11 billion, or 14% of the nation's gross domestic product, estimating that economic output would be about $2 billion lower than it otherwise would have been because of the quake.

The quake affected more than 17 million people, with nine million severely impacted, the World Bank said. The death toll has topped 3,700, according to Myanmar's ruling junta.

"The earthquake caused significant loss of life and displacement, while exacerbating already difficult economic conditions, further testing the resilience of Myanmar's people," Melinda Good, Division Director for Thailand and Myanmar, said a statement.
"Recovery efforts are essential to help the most vulnerable populations."

A junta spokesman did not respond to a call from Reuters seeking comment on the report.

In December, the World Bank had projected Myanmar's economy would shrink 1% in the 2024/25 fiscal year that ended in March due to the severe flooding in the country.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, sparking a civil war. There have been international efforts to stall the conflict, but rebels have accused the junta of breaching a ceasefire called to allow relief efforts to reach earthquake-affected areas.

The hardest-hit regions of Mandalay and Naypyidaw were expected to lose up to one-third of their production between April and September before a partial recovery in the second half of the fiscal year, the World Bank said.

The earthquake could increase the national poverty rate by 2.8 percentage points, pushing more households into poverty, the report stated. A survey before the quake estimated the poverty rate at 31% in 2024.

"Myanmar's compounding crises have put household coping mechanisms under severe stress," said Kim Edwards, Senior Economist and Program Leader for Thailand and Myanmar.