Saudi Arabia’s inflation reached 1.8% in May 2026, compared to the same period last year.
According to data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the cost-of-living index (COLI) rose to 105.3 points in May2026, from103.5 pointsin the same month of 2025.
GASTAT has enhanced the data collection and calculation methodology for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in line with international best practices to improve coverage and accuracy.
It also updated the index base year to 2023, revising the basket items and their weights while expanding geographic coverage to include all regions.
Inflation is measured as the percentage change in the cost of living compared with the same period a year earlier.
CPI
Period
CPI
YoY Change
January 2024
100.95
1.7%
February
101.01
1.6%
March
100.82
1.2%
April
101.27
1.4%
May
101.34
1.6%
June
101.62
1.8%
July
101.50
1.3%
August
101.55
1.4%
September
101.62
1.5%
October
101.90
1.5%
November
102.25
1.5%
December
102.20
1.4%
January 2025
102.60
1.6%
February
102.72
1.7%
March
102.96
2.1%
April
103.35
2.1%
May
103.46
2.1%
June
103.63
2.0%
July
103.75
2.2%
August
103.89
2.3%
September
103.83
2.2%
October
104.12
2.2%
November
104.20
1.9%
December
104.30
2.1%
January 2026
104.47
1.8%
February
104.50
1.7%
March
104.81
1.8%
April
105.06
1.7%
May
105.28
1.8%
GASTAT attributed the increase mainly to a 3.7% rise in housing, water, electricity, and gas prices, driven by a 4.7% increase in rents, along with higher transport costs (+1.5%) and restaurant and hotel prices (+1.7%).
Main Groups in May 2026
Main Groups
Relative Weight
Change YoY
PersonalGoods, Social Protection Other Goods Services
6.1%
5.6%
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas Other Fuels
20.2%
3.7%
Recreation, Sports Culture
3.2%
2.6%
Insurance Financial Services
3.2%
2.2%
Restaurants Hotel Services
8.4%
1.7%
Transport
14.5%
1.5%
Education
2.2%
1.4%
Food Beverages
21.9%
0.7%
Communications
5.2%
0.6%
Tobacco
0.7%
0.4%
Health
4.0%
0.2%
Apparel Footwear
3.7%
(0.1%)
Furnishing,Household Equipment Maintenance
6.7%
(0.5%)
Inflation rates showed mixed performance in May 2026 compared to April. Six regions in the Kingdom recorded an increase in their annual inflation rates, namely Makkah, Madinah, the Eastern Province, Aseer, Hail, and Al Jouf, while the remaining regions either declined or remained stable.
Al Jouf recorded the highest inflation rate among the Kingdom’s regions at 3.4%, followed by the Northern Borders Region at 2.9%, while Jazan posted the lowest inflation rate at 0.8%.
Inflation Rate by City
City
April 2026
May 2026
Al Jouf
2.5 %
3.4 %
Northern Borders
3.0 %
2.9 %
Najran
2.5 %
2.5 %
Riyadh
2.6 %
2.4 %
Hail
1.4 %
1.8 %
Tabuak
1.6 %
1.6 %
Makkah
1.3 %
1.5 %
Aseer
1.1 %
1.4 %
Al Baha
1.9 %
1.4 %
Qassim
1.7 %
1.3 %
Eastern Province
0.7 %
1.3 %
Madinah
0.9 %
1.1 %
Jazan
0.9 %
0.8 %
Saudi Arabia’s inflation reached 1.8% in May 2026, compared to the same period last year.
According to data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), the cost-of-living index (COLI) rose to 105.3 points in May2026, from103.5 pointsin the same month of 2025.
GASTAT has enhanced the data collection and calculation methodology for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in line with international best practices to improve coverage and accuracy.
It also updated the index base year to 2023, revising the basket items and their weights while expanding geographic coverage to include all regions.
Inflation is measured as the percentage change in the cost of living compared with the same period a year earlier.
CPI
Period
CPI
YoY Change
January 2024
100.95
1.7%
February
101.01
1.6%
March
100.82
1.2%
April
101.27
1.4%
May
101.34
1.6%
June
101.62
1.8%
July
101.50
1.3%
August
101.55
1.4%
September
101.62
1.5%
October
101.90
1.5%
November
102.25
1.5%
December
102.20
1.4%
January 2025
102.60
1.6%
February
102.72
1.7%
March
102.96
2.1%
April
103.35
2.1%
May
103.46
2.1%
June
103.63
2.0%
July
103.75
2.2%
August
103.89
2.3%
September
103.83
2.2%
October
104.12
2.2%
November
104.20
1.9%
December
104.30
2.1%
January 2026
104.47
1.8%
February
104.50
1.7%
March
104.81
1.8%
April
105.06
1.7%
May
105.28
1.8%
GASTAT attributed the increase mainly to a 3.7% rise in housing, water, electricity, and gas prices, driven by a 4.7% increase in rents, along with higher transport costs (+1.5%) and restaurant and hotel prices (+1.7%).
Main Groups in May 2026
Main Groups
Relative Weight
Change YoY
PersonalGoods, Social Protection Other Goods Services
6.1%
5.6%
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas Other Fuels
20.2%
3.7%
Recreation, Sports Culture
3.2%
2.6%
Insurance Financial Services
3.2%
2.2%
Restaurants Hotel Services
8.4%
1.7%
Transport
14.5%
1.5%
Education
2.2%
1.4%
Food Beverages
21.9%
0.7%
Communications
5.2%
0.6%
Tobacco
0.7%
0.4%
Health
4.0%
0.2%
Apparel Footwear
3.7%
(0.1%)
Furnishing,Household Equipment Maintenance
6.7%
(0.5%)
Inflation rates showed mixed performance in May 2026 compared to April. Six regions in the Kingdom recorded an increase in their annual inflation rates, namely Makkah, Madinah, the Eastern Province, Aseer, Hail, and Al Jouf, while the remaining regions either declined or remained stable.
Al Jouf recorded the highest inflation rate among the Kingdom’s regions at 3.4%, followed by the Northern Borders Region at 2.9%, while Jazan posted the lowest inflation rate at 0.8%.
Inflation Rate by City
City
April 2026
May 2026
Al Jouf
2.5 %
3.4 %
Northern Borders
3.0 %
2.9 %
Najran
2.5 %
2.5 %
Riyadh
2.6 %
2.4 %
Hail
1.4 %
1.8 %
Tabuak
1.6 %
1.6 %
Makkah
1.3 %
1.5 %
Aseer
1.1 %
1.4 %
Al Baha
1.9 %
1.4 %
Qassim
1.7 %
1.3 %
Eastern Province
0.7 %
1.3 %
Madinah
0.9 %
1.1 %
Jazan
0.9 %
0.8 %
