Inflation in Saudi Arabia recorded 1.9% during the month of September

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The consumer price index (inflation rate) in Saudi Arabia rose by 1.9% in September 2026 on an annual basis, according to data from the General Authority for Statistics on Thursday.

The Authority attributed the increase to an increase in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel prices by 3.6%, food and beverage prices by 1.4%, and transportation prices by 2.3%.

This led to an acceleration of the inflation rate after remaining stable for 4 consecutive months at 1.8%.

The increase in the prices of the housing, water, electricity, gas and other types of fuels by 3.6% was a result of the increase in the prices of the actual housing rental group by 3.5%, followed by the personal care, social protection and other goods and services section by 3.3%, driven by the increase in the prices of other personal effects by 11.9%, which was affected by the increase in the prices of the jewelry and watches section by 12.9%.

It was followed by the Entertainment, Sports and Culture section with a 2.5% increase, driven by a 4.5% increase in prices for the holiday packages.

On the other hand, the prices of the Furniture, Home Appliances and Regular Home Maintenance Department decreased by 0.5%, and the Clothing and Shoes Department decreased by 0.4%.

The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels Department is the main contributor to annual inflation, contributing 0.7 percentage points, followed by the Food and Beverage Department with a contribution of 0.3 percentage points, in addition to the Transport Department contributing 0.3 percentage points, the Personal Care, Social Protection, and Other Goods and Services Department contributing 0.2 percentage points, and other departments contributing 0.3 percentage points.

On a monthly basis, the Consumer Price Index in September 2026 was stable compared to August 2026, and this is due to the varying changes in the prices of the following sections: The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels section increased by 0.1%, driven by an increase in the prices of the actual residential rental group by 0.2%.

The prices of the Food and Beverages Department also increased by 0.1%, the Personal Care, Social Protection, and Other Goods and Services Department by 0.1%, and the Education Services Department by 1.2%.

On the other hand, the prices of the Transportation Department decreased by 0.1%, the Restaurants and Accommodation Services Department by 0.5%, the Entertainment, Sports and Culture Department by 0.6%, and the Furniture, Home Appliances and Regular Home Maintenance Department by 0.2%.