JEDDAH: Oman’s producer price index fell 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to official data.
The decline was primarily driven by an 11.3 percent drop in the mining and quarrying sector, reflecting an 11.6 percent decrease in prices of crude oil and natural gas products, according to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
Oman’s producer price trends continue to reflect volatility in global energy markets, with the mining and quarrying sector remaining the primary driver of overall index performance, while non-hydrocarbon sectors showed mixed but broadly positive movements.
The decline marks a reversal from the first quarter of 2025, when the producer price index rose 4.1 percent, supported by higher oil and gas prices.
The latest figures underscore the continued influence of energy markets on Oman’s industrial price trends, despite increasing contributions from non-hydrocarbon sectors.
“Statistics showed that prices of metal ore products increased by 17.8 percent, while stone and sand products recorded a slight rise of 0.5 percent,” the Oman News Agency, or ONA, reported.
The agency added that the manufacturing sector rose 8.3 percent, supported by an 11.3 percent increase in prices of other transportable goods, a 6.2 percent rise in metal products, machinery and equipment, and a 1.8 percent increase in food products, beverages, and textiles.
The water supply group declined by 4.3 percent, while electricity production remained stable, with no significant change recorded.
The Sultanate’s producer price index recorded a 3.3 percent decline in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, driven mainly by a drop in the mining and quarrying sector, which fell 5.8 percent amid lower crude oil and natural gas prices, according to a report by the NCSI.
The fourth-quarter report showed that the manufacturing sector also registered a decline of 4.3 percent, while electricity production rose 32 percent and water production increased 27.3 percent, reflecting mixed movements across key production groups.
