The question
In which region did prices rise most over a year? And which division of the consumer basket was behind it: housing, food, or something else?
The figure
According to the Consumer Price Index GASTAT published on 15 September 2026 (4 Rabi' al-Akhir 1448 AH), prices in Saudi Arabia rose 1.8% in a year: from August 2025 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1447 AH) to August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH).
There is a clear spread across the 13 regions. Prices rose 4.3% in Al-Jouf and 3.6% in Northern Borders, the two highest. In 6 regions the rise was above Saudi Arabia’s.
At the other end, prices rose only 0.9% in Jazan, and fell in Qassim, −0.4%, the only region where the overall index fell. The gap between the highest and the lowest is 4.8 percentage points.
These are changes within each region, not a comparison of their levels: the index does not say where prices are higher, only where they rose more.
Which division drove it?
Prices are measured in 13 divisions, from food to education. The effect of each division on the overall index depends on two things: how much its price changed, and how much of household spending it takes.
In 11 of the 13 regions, the housing division rose faster than the region’s own overall index.
- In Saudi Arabia: the housing, water, electricity and fuel division rose most, by 3.9%, while food rose 1.4%.
- In Al-Jouf: food rose 3.6%, and it is 34.2% of its households’ spending in the 2023 survey. Housing rose 7.8%, and the personal care and miscellaneous division 8.2%.
- In Northern Borders: the housing division alone rose 11.9%, and it is what pushed the overall index up.
- In Qassim: housing rose 6.4%, but food fell, −3.3%, and clothing and footwear −5.0%, so the overall index fell.
- In Riyadh: transport rose most, by 5.1%, then housing, 3.9%.
Change in a year: overall index, housing and food divisions, by region
Change in a year: August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH) against August 2025 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1447 AH). Highest rise first.
| Region | Overall index | Housing division | Food division | Division that changed most |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 1.8% | 3.9% | 1.4% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 3.9% |
| Al-Jouf | 4.3% | 7.8% | 3.6% | Personal care and miscellaneous 8.2% |
| Northern Borders | 3.6% | 11.9% | 1.5% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 11.9% |
| Najran | 2.4% | 1.6% | 4.5% | Personal care and miscellaneous 11.6% |
| Riyadh | 2.3% | 3.9% | 0.2% | Transport 5.1% |
| Hail | 2.2% | 6.4% | 2.7% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 6.4% |
| Al-Baha | 2.0% | 2.7% | 0.8% | Restaurants and hotels 9.1% |
| Makkah | 1.8% | 3.0% | 1.9% | Recreation and culture 4.7% |
| Eastern Province | 1.7% | 3.8% | 2.7% | Recreation and culture 5.2% |
| Tabuk | 1.5% | 5.0% | 1.7% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 5.0% |
| Madinah | 1.5% | 8.1% | 0.6% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 8.1% |
| Asir | 1.3% | 3.9% | 1.4% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 3.9% |
| Jazan | 0.9% | −1.0% | 3.2% | Food and beverages 3.2% |
| Qassim | −0.4% | 6.4% | −3.3% | Housing, water, electricity and fuel 6.4% |
What this means for your decision
The overall index is the average of a whole basket and may hide what matters to you. Closest to your decision is the division that concerns you, in your region.
This is a reading of what happened over a past year, not a forecast of what will happen.
- For households: if housing or food is the biggest item in your budget, the change in that division in your region is closer to what you feel than the overall index.
- For business owners: the division that touches your inputs, such as food for a restaurant or housing for staff accommodation, shows which cost moved in your region over the year.
- For researchers: the gap between regions reached 4.8 points, so the average for Saudi Arabia alone may not describe a particular region.
An analytical reading, not financial advice; the decision and its responsibility are yours.
Limits of the figure
- The index measures the change in prices within the same region since the base year 2023; it does not compare the level of prices between two regions.
- The comparison is between a month and the same month a year earlier, so it is affected by what happened in those two months and does not describe the whole year.
- GASTAT does not publish the weight of each division in each region in these data, so we did not calculate an exact contribution for each division. We cited food’s share of household spending from the 2023 survey, published on 27 February 2025 (28 Sha'ban 1446 AH), as an approximation only.
- The figures are an average for the whole region; prices may differ between its cities and neighbourhoods.
Source: General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Saudi Arabia, the official source of the original data. DataPulse organised the data and made calculations on it (such as percentage changes and regrouping). This processing and its results are ours; they are not an official statistic issued by GASTAT and do not imply its endorsement. Reuse terms: GASTAT data use policy. We do not use GASTAT’s logo or marks.
The source statement in Arabic (the Arabic text governs; the English above is a summary)
المصدر: الهيئة العامة للإحصاء (المملكة العربية السعودية) — الرقم القياسي لأسعار المستهلك حسب المنطقة الإدارية والقسم (أساس 2023 = 100)، ومسح دخل وإنفاق الأسرة 2023 (أوزان الإنفاق)، وهي المصدر الرسمي للبيانات الأصلية. أجرت «نبض البيانات» على البيانات تنظيمًا وحسابًا (مثل: حساب نسب التغيّر وإعادة التجميع). هذه المعالجة والنتائج من إعدادنا وليست إحصاءً رسميًا صادرًا عن الهيئة، ولا تعني تزكية منها.
شروط إعادة الاستخدام: سياسة استخدام بيانات الهيئة. لا نستخدم شعار الهيئة ولا علاماتها.
Full official figures: Price gap between regions · Prices: the official figures · All insights(Arabic)
Translated from the Arabic reading; the Arabic text is the original. The original reading(Arabic)