Muscat – Oman’s annual inflation rate eased slightly to 1.4% in January, down from 1.6% in December, according to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

CPI data showed that the miscellaneous goods and services group recorded the largest year-on-year price increase in January, rising by 13.2%. This was followed by the restaurants and hotels group prices, which increased by 5.9%, and the furniture, furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance group, which rose by 2.6%.

The education group recorded an increase of 2.2% in January prices, followed by health at 1.7%, food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.9%, and clothing and footwear at 0.1%. Meanwhile, the transport group registered a decline of 0.3% compared to the same month a year earlier.

Prices in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels group, as well as the recreation and culture, tobacco and communication groups, remained unchanged in January compared to the same month last year.

Within the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, prices in January 2026 compared to January 2025 showed mixed trends. Fruit prices increased by 5.2%, sugar, jam, honey and confectionery by 3.3%, meat by 2.0%, milk, cheese and eggs by 2.0%, other food products by 1.7%, oils and fats by 0.7%, non-alcoholic beverages by 0.5%, and bread and cereals by 0.4%.

In contrast, fish prices fell by 5.4%, while vegetable prices declined by 1.4%.

At the governorate level, Dhahirah recorded the highest inflation rate at the end of January 2026 compared to the same period last year, with prices rising by 2.3%. Inflation also increased in Muscat by 1.9%, Buraimi by 1.8%, Dakhiliyah by 1.5%, and South Batinah by 1.3%.

South Sharqiyah and Musandam both recorded an increase of 1.0% in inflation, while Dhofar and North Batinah saw a rise of 0.4%. North Sharqiyah and Al Wusta recorded the lowest inflation rate at 0.3%.

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