26 May 2016
Riyadh - The cost-of-living index in the Kingdom recorded a rise of 0.2 percent during the month of April 2016, compared to the previous month, according to indicators recorded by the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) published on its official website.
The GaStat report said that upon measuring the 12 main divisions of the indicators, the monthly rise in the index came as a result of rising costs of eight divisions including health, commodities and services, garments, shoes, communications, housing, water, electricity, gas and the other fuels, household furniture and maintenance, and food.
Three of the divisions dropped in terms of costs, including entertainment and culture, transport, and restaurants and hotels.
The education division remained at the same level as the previous one with almost no changes in its figures.
The general cost of living index aims to provide data on the prices of commodities and services included in the consumer basket, and to provide data on the recorded figures on the cost of living within a timed series.
The basket of consumer goods represents the actual group of commodities and services monitored during any survey on the income and expenses of households, with the relative distribution of the consumption of goods and services in the consumer basket the main foundation for calculating the record figures of the consumer price index.
The recorded figures of the consumer price index (CPI) of costs of living are used to measure changes in the prices of goods and services bought by consumers from time to time. The CPI is widely used as an accurate indicator to calculate inflation trends and economic downturn, in addition to relying on it in economic and statistical analyses of the movement of prices and future outlooks during different time periods.
The data on prices are compiled by personal interviews conducted by a number of teams of researchers who tour sales checkpoints and outlets, and the selected leasing units.
Riyadh - The cost-of-living index in the Kingdom recorded a rise of 0.2 percent during the month of April 2016, compared to the previous month, according to indicators recorded by the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) published on its official website.
The GaStat report said that upon measuring the 12 main divisions of the indicators, the monthly rise in the index came as a result of rising costs of eight divisions including health, commodities and services, garments, shoes, communications, housing, water, electricity, gas and the other fuels, household furniture and maintenance, and food.
Three of the divisions dropped in terms of costs, including entertainment and culture, transport, and restaurants and hotels.
The education division remained at the same level as the previous one with almost no changes in its figures.
The general cost of living index aims to provide data on the prices of commodities and services included in the consumer basket, and to provide data on the recorded figures on the cost of living within a timed series.
The basket of consumer goods represents the actual group of commodities and services monitored during any survey on the income and expenses of households, with the relative distribution of the consumption of goods and services in the consumer basket the main foundation for calculating the record figures of the consumer price index.
The recorded figures of the consumer price index (CPI) of costs of living are used to measure changes in the prices of goods and services bought by consumers from time to time. The CPI is widely used as an accurate indicator to calculate inflation trends and economic downturn, in addition to relying on it in economic and statistical analyses of the movement of prices and future outlooks during different time periods.
The data on prices are compiled by personal interviews conducted by a number of teams of researchers who tour sales checkpoints and outlets, and the selected leasing units.
© Arab News 2016
