The Central Statistical Bureau attributed the 2.19 percent annual inflation rate mainly to higher costs for food, healthcare, clothing, education and miscellaneous goods and services. Food and beverages registered the largest annual gain at 5.55 percent compared with June 2025 while transport prices climbed 4.83 percent over the same period, CSB figures show. Miscellaneous goods and services advanced 5.8 percent annually and household furnishings rose 1.11 percent, according to the bureau’s breakdown released through KUNA on Monday.
Public Authority for Civil Information figures place Kuwait’s expatriate population at roughly 3.3 million, a cohort that spends heavily on the categories driving the latest inflation readings. The CSB data indicated that healthcare costs increased 1.03 percent year-on-year with education prices advancing 1.02 percent while recreation and culture registered a 1.13 percent rise. Communications costs also edged up 1.03 percent in the bureau’s assessment that placed annual inflation excluding food and beverages at 1.43 percent.
Monthly changes remained modest with food and beverage prices increasing 0.18 percent in June from May, the Central Statistical Bureau reported. Housing services recorded the smallest annual gain at 0.16 percent while restaurant and hotel prices moved up 0.22 percent, according to the official release. Clothing and footwear prices rose 0.89 percent year-on-year in the data set that highlighted sustained pressure on essential household budgets.
KUNA distributed the Central Statistical Bureau statistics as Kuwait’s expatriate workforce continues to navigate elevated costs in a market where food and transport represent significant monthly outlays for many families. The bureau noted that tobacco and cigarette prices showed no change over the 12-month period even as other segments reflected broader economic adjustments. These readings arrive against a backdrop in which Central Statistical Bureau historical series have tracked inflation trends since the early 2000s, providing consistent benchmarks for cost-of-living analysis.
An International Monetary Fund review of Gulf economies last year placed Kuwait’s inflation among the more moderate rates in the region while noting expatriate sensitivity to food price volatility given import dependence. The Central Statistical Bureau’s latest release underscores how the 5.55 percent food increase outpaced the overall index and contributed the largest share to the headline figure. Transport’s 4.83 percent annual rise further compounds expenses for commuters and logistics-dependent households across the emirate.
Subsequent CSB updates will track whether these category-specific pressures moderate in coming months as authorities monitor the cumulative effect on both citizen and expatriate consumption patterns. The bureau’s methodology aggregates price changes across 12 main groups to compile the comprehensive consumer price index each month. Monday’s data release offers the most current snapshot of purchasing power shifts in an economy where non-nationals form the majority of the labor force.
