The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August 2013, which stayed at the previous month’s level of 114.5, showing no change when compared to the CPI of July 2013. However it shows a rise of 2.8%* when compared to the CPI of August, 2012.    A comparison of the CPI of August, 2013 with that of CPI of July, shows increases in the prices of the “Miscellaneous goods & services” (0.7%), Furniture, Textiles and Home Appliance (0.5%), and “Rent, Fuel and Energy (0.3%), which were offset by the decreases in the prices of “Transport and communications” (0.5%) and “Food, beverages and tobacco” (0.3%).   The year-on-year comparison, the CPI of August 2013 compared with that of August 2012, shows an increase of 2.8%* at the overall level. The major increases were shown in the group “Entertainment, recreation and culture” where prices increased by 8.4%* mainly attributable to education related goods and services, and in “Rent, Fuel and Energy group” by 6.7%* caused by the rising trend in the rental of residential buildings. On other hand there is a decline of 3.2%* in “Miscellaneous goods & services”   A CPI exclusive of “Rent, Fuel and Energy” group has also been calculated. After eliminating the effect of rent, the overall index reached 126.2, showing a decrease of 0.1% compared to the CPI of July 2013, and an increase of 1.5 %* when compared to CPI of August 2012.  More details on consumer price indices are available on QALAM website: www.qix.gov.qa    For more details