By Santhosh V Perumal
Business Reporter

A double-digit increase in education expenses, higher rents and costlier tobacco and transport led Qatar to report a 1.5% increase year-on-year (y-o-y) in cost of living, based on the consumer price index (CPI), in September this year, according to official figures.
The CPI inflation was up 0.2% against the previous month’s levels mainly on costlier higher costs for education, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) said, releasing the CPI data for September.
Expecting consumer price levels to be “muted”, the MDPS in it Qatar Economic Outlook for 2015-17, said the country’s CPI inflation is likely to come down to 2% this year from 3.3% in 2014, but will see a modest pick up in the next two years.
Education group, which carries 5.75% weight in the CPI basket, saw the maximum rise of 17.1% y-o-y in September 2015 and the index soared 5.4% from the August level.
Tobacco group, which has 0.27% weight in the CPI basket, increased 6.3% y-o-y in September this year, but month-on-month, it was unchanged.
Transport sector, which has 14.59% weightage in the CPI basket, saw its group index expand 2.5% y-o-y in September 2015; while it fell 0.7% against the previous month’s level.
Housing, water, electricity and gas group — with a weight of 21.89% in the CPI basket — saw its index rise 2.1% y-o-y in September this year and it was up 0.9% from the previous month’s level.
The CPI of September 2015, excluding “housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels” group showed an increase of 1.4% y-o-y but was unchanged compared with August this year.
Food and beverage, which has a weight of 12.58% in the CPI basket, saw its group index expand 1.5% y-o-y in September and it notched up 0.2% against the August levels.
Clothing and footwear group, which carries 5.11% weight in the CPI basket, saw 0.6% y-o-y increase in its index in September 2015 and it rose by a similar proportion compared to August this year.
Furnishings and household equipment group, which carries 7.7% weightage in the CPI basket, witnessed 0.3% y-o-y rise in its index in September this year and it was up 0.1% against August levels.
Restaurants and hotels segment, which has 6.08% weight in the CPI basket, saw its group index rise 0.2% y-o-y in September 2015 but it was down 0.3% month-on-month.
Communication, which carries 5.87% weight in the CPI basket, saw its group index increase 0.1% y-o-y in September this year; while it was unchanged from the previous month’s levels.
However, Recreation and Culture, which have 12.68% weightage in the CPI basket, saw its index plunge 3.6% y-o-y in September 2015 and it shrank 2.3% compared to August this year.
Miscellaneous Goods and Services, which have 5.69% weightage in the CPI basket, witnessed 1.2% decline y-o-y in September this year but reported 0.3% gain against the August levels.
Health sector, which carries 1.79% weightage in the CPI basket, witnessed 0.1% fall y-o-y in September this year; even as the index was unchanged month-on-month.