Oman food prices rise 8.4% in September as headline inflation eases to 3.2%

what happened

According to ZAWYA, food prices in Oman rose 8.4% year-on-year in September, even though headline inflation slowed to 3.2% from 3.4% in August. The National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) released the data on Tuesday.

Vegetables posted the steepest annual gain at 20.1%, followed by fruit at 16.3% and meat at 10.3%. Fish rose 5%, soft drinks 3.7%, and dairy products and eggs 3.4%. Fats and oils barely moved, up 0.1%. Month on month, vegetable prices climbed 5.1% and fruit prices 2%.

Outside food, transport rose 4.8% year-on-year, while housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels increased only 0.1%. By governorate, Dhahirah had the highest inflation at 4.4%, followed by Al Wusta at 3.9%, Dakhiliya at 3.6% and Muscat at 3.3%. Consumer prices averaged a 3.0% rise over the first nine months of 2026.

why it matters

The gap between food inflation and the headline rate shows that household cost pressure persists even as the overall index cools. NCSI links the higher prices to Middle East tensions, including the US-Israel conflict with Iran that began on February 28. The agency notes the conflict has affected energy prices, shipping and supply chains, which could raise import costs for Gulf countries such as Oman, particularly for food.

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