(6) sections decreased, and (4) rose.
"GaStat" : Cost of Living Index remains stable in September 2016
On Monday, the 23^th  of Muharram 1438 H/ 24^th  of October 2016 AD, the General Authority for Statistics (GaStat) issued the monthly indicator of Saudi cost of living index for the month of September. It is now published on its website www.stats.gov.sa .The indicator didn't record any relative change compared to the previous month.The monthly report indicates that the Saudi cost of living index indicator recorded (137.9) in September 2016 without any relative change compared to August 2016. It recorded an increase above (133.9) from September 2015, recording a rise of 3.0% on an annual basis.The report attributed the monthly increase to the rises of four of the main sections that constitute this indicator; clothes and shoes section with (0,7%), food and beverages with (0.3%), telecommunication section with an increase of (0.2%) , and finally, furniture ,appliances, and maintenance with an increases of (0.1%).On the other hand,  six sections have decreased; commodities and services with a decrease of (1.0%), restaurants and hotels with a decrease of (0,7%), literacy and recreation with (0.4%), transportation with a decrease of (0,2%), housing, water, electricity, gas, and other types of fuels with  a decrease of (0.2%), finally, health section with (0.1%).However, the sections of tobacco and education did not change and remained stable.The cost of living index indicator issued monthly by GaStat aims at providing data about the prices of commodities and services that are in the consumer basket. It also aims at providing data about the cost of living indices within a time series. (The consumer basket) refers to the actual group of commodities and services that are recorded during the household expenditure and income survey. The relative distribution of the commodities and services consumption inside the consumer basket is extracted to make it the base stone in the process of indices calculation. The cost of living indices are used to measure any change in the prices of commodities and services that are purchased by consumer. Moreover, it is used as an accurate indicator that measures the economic inflation and recession. It is also used in statistical and economic analyses that are associated with prices movement and anticipations in different times. Data are collected by conducting interviews. The sources addresses are clarified to the interviewers to facilitate their task. The sources distribution in one city must cover all available commodities and services with all levels.