Muscat – Oman’s annual inflation rate eased slightly to 1.6% in December 2025, down from 1.7% recorded in November, according to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The average inflation rate for the full year 2025 stood at 1%.
Monthly CPI data showed that the miscellaneous personal goods and services group made the largest contribution to inflation in December, recording a year-on-year increase of 10%. This was followed by the transport group, which rose by 2.8%, restaurants and hotels by 2.6%, furniture, furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance by 2.4%, and education by 2.2%.
Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages group increased by 1.1%, clothing and footwear by 0.2%, and health by 0.1%.
By contrast, prices for culture and entertainment declined by 0.1% in December from a year earlier, while prices for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, tobacco, and communications remained unchanged.
Within the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, prices in December 2025 compared with the same month in 2024 rose for fish and seafood by 6%, fruits by 4%, sugar, jam, honey and sweets by 3.5%, milk, cheese and eggs by 2.1%, non-alcoholic beverages by 0.9%, meat by 0.8%, bread, cereals, oils and fats by 0.7%, and other food products not classified elsewhere by 0.4%. In contrast, vegetable prices fell by 5.8%.
At the governorate level, Dhahirah recorded the highest inflation rate at the end of December 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, with prices rising by 2.5%. Inflation increased by 2.1% in Dakhiliyah, by 1.7% in both Muscat and Buraimi, and by 1.5% in South Batinah.
In South Sharqiyah and Musandam, inflation rose by 1.1%, while North Sharqiyah and North Batinah recorded an increase of 0.9%. Inflation also rose by 0.8% in Al Wusta and Dhofar.
