A statistical index that monitors the movements of goods prices at the initial (wholesale) stage in the Kingdom’s markets by calculating the Wholesale Price Index. It measures the monthly and annual changes in prices of local and imported goods in primary markets (wholesale markets), and the results are published on a monthly basis.
Survey objectives
• Provide an official statistical index to monitor and track changes in goods prices in wholesale markets before reaching the consumer (measuring inflation/deflation in wholesale prices).
• Contribute to supporting studies related to the economic sector and the formulation of economic policies.
• Contribute meet the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, in addition to covering regional requirements such as the Gulf Statistical Center and international requirements, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the G20.
• Support researchers interested in the wholesale market sector, as well as planners and researchers in development and production fields in general, such as national accounts.
• Measure the potential burden on consumers at an early stage and track changes in this burden over time.
• Provide statistics on price movements of goods at the pre-retail stage.
• Provide a time series of statistical data on the Wholesale Price Index.
Data collection tools
Key concepts
Price index: An index number that measures the change in prices of a set of goods and services, obtained by comparing the prices of the goods in the comparison period to their prices in the base period.
Wholesale Price Index: A statistical tool for measuring the percentage change in prices of locally produced and imported goods in primary markets (wholesale markets) between two different time periods.
Commodity Basket: It is a set of commodities chosen according to their importance in the import balance and the local product value evaluation.
Points of sale: Establishments or units from which wholesale price data for the goods included in the wholesale price index program basket are collected.
Shadow sample: It is a set of backup points of sale which can be referred to when needed to replace one of the basic points of sale when it becomes difficult to get the price from that point for any reason, whether because the shop is closed permanently or because the commodity is definitely unavailable.
Comparison Period Price: It is the recorded price of a commodity in the current period of time.
Base Period Price: It is the recorded price of a commodity in a previous period of time with which the current price is compared.
Base year: It is the year whose prices are the divisor of the comparison period prices.
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What is the Wholesale Price Index?
The Wholesale Price Index is a statistical tool used to measure the percentage change in the prices of local and imported goods in primary markets (wholesale markets) between two different time periods. It monitors price movements of goods at the initial (wholesale) stage in the Kingdom’s markets.
What is the coverage of the Wholesale Price Index?
The Wholesale Price Index is compiled at the national level, and prices of goods included in its calculation are collected from four cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Al Khobar.
What is the base year for the Wholesale Price Index?
2014 has been set as the base year for the Wholesale Price Index.
What is the framework and item basket?
Based on foreign trade lists of export and import items, as well as agricultural product lists from the Ministry of Agriculture, a framework has been prepared that includes a set of goods included in the wholesale price system. This framework consists of: 5 divisions, 31 groups, 108 classes, 199 categories, 265 subcategories, and 343 individual items, ranked according to their relative importance and placed within the structure of the Central Product Classification.
What are the data sources for the Wholesale Price Index?
A list obtained from the economic survey of establishments in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam was used as a sampling framework for points of sale. Based on this, seven points of sale were selected in each city for each item.
Privacy Policy
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) is a government entity with an independent legal personality. It is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It provides statistical products in social, economic, and environmental fields to support policymakers and decision-makers in advancing the implementation of development plans.
You can contact us by clicking on contact us link in our website, or send an email to: info@stats.gov.sa
Date of last update:
The last update on the privacy notice was made on (update date).
What is personal data?
Any data, regardless of its source or form, that may lead to identifying an individual specifically, or that may directly or indirectly make it possible to identify an individual, including name, personal identification number, addresses, contact numbers, bank and credit card numbers, photos, and videos of an individual, and any other data of personal nature.
What personal data is collected?
Various types of personal data and information is collected, which cover all aspects of life in the Kingdom: (demographic, social, economic, environmental, and cultural), including but not limited to:
Full name, age/date of birth, sex, address, contact information (e.g.: email address and phone numbers), ID number, marital status, current job information, previous job information, information about dependents/spouse/household.
How is personal data collected and what is the purpose?
Personal data is collected and obtained "directly or indirectly", using various methods, which include:
- Direct methods of obtaining personal data:
- Field visit to the household or establishment by GASTAT’s staff or one of its representatives.
- Phone call by GASTAT’s staff through the unified phone number: 920020081.
- Self-completion on GASTAT’s website.
Indirect methods of obtaining personal data:
Collect cookies and data on how you use our site, including your visit date and time, and the type of browser you use.
By collecting data, GASTAT aims to produce official statistics that serve the public interest, i.e., any personal data collected, whether it belongs to the individual, or on behalf of another individual, will be used for statistical purposes and the production of official statistics.
How do we use your personal data?
We use personal data collected directly or indirectly to produce official statistics that serve the public interest, and support policymakers and decision makers in advancing the implementation of development plans. GASTAT is the only official statistical reference for implementing, supervising, and regulating the statistical work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
How do we share your personal data?
Your personal information won't be given to any third party for the purpose of direct marketing. We are also dedicated to protecting the confidentiality of all Saudi Arabia’s resident data, and not disclosing it. GASTAT abides by the participation guidelines that the regulators have approved. We also pledge to enforce the laws governing data confidentiality, non-disclosure, and personal data protection vigorously and strictly.
The legal basis for collecting and processing personal data:
According to the policy of personal data protection issued by the National Data Management Office, the legal basis for collecting and processing personal data is:
- our explicit consent, and you can withdraw your consent at any time except for some exceptions explained above, and to do so you can contact the Data Governance Department.
- Legal Obligation: The regulations and bylaws in force - including Royal and High Orders - are a legal basis on which GASTAT can rely if the collection and processing of personal data is necessary to comply with these statutory requirements.
- Public Interest: Statistics collected from personal data aim to support policymakers, and decision makers to advance the implementation of Saudi Arabia's development plans.
How do we store your personal data?
Your personal data is stored securely in the technical assets of GASTAT in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Your personal data is kept for a specified period, after which we dispose of this data securely so that it cannot be accessed or restored again, based on GASTAT’s data preservation and destruction policy.
Rights of personal data owner:
Under the personal data policy, you have the following rights, which depend primarily on the purpose of collecting and processing personal data:
- Right to access personal data: you have the right to request a copy of your personal data, such data will be provided to you within seven working days via email DPO@stats.gov.sa.
- Right to dispose personal data: you have the right to request the disposal of your personal data in certain circumstances that do not contradict with the legal basis based on which data was collected.
- Right to restrict data processing: you can restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances and for specific period of time.
- Right to object to processing: you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data that is not inconsistent with the legal basis.
- Right to transfer your personal data: you have the right to ask us to transfer your personal data - collected directly from you - to another party, or to deliver it to you for a fee. This right cannot be exercised if your consent is the legal basis for processing.
Except as otherwise specified, you are not required to pay any fees for exercising these rights, and in the event that a request is made to exercise one of these rights, you will be responded to within (7 days) from the request date.
Furthermore, it should be stressed here that some of these rights (the right to data disposal, the right to data transfer, and the right to object to processing) are not absolute rights but rather depend on the primary purpose and the legal basis mentioned earlier. Other than that, they are regarded as absolute rights.
For more details about the processing of your personal data and how to exercise your rights, you can contact the Data Protection Officer at GASTAT using the contact information provided below:
Email: DPO@stats.gov.sa
Except as stipulated, you are not required to pay any fee for the exercise of these rights, and if an application is made to exercise one of these rights you will be answered within (7 days) of the date of application.
It must also be emphasized here that some of these rights (the right to destroy data, the right to transmit data, the right to object to processing) are not absolute rights, but rather depend on the main purpose and statutory basis referred to earlier, and otherwise are absolute rights.
For more details about the processing of your personal data and how to exercise your rights, you can contact the Authority's Personal Data Protection Officer according to the contact data below:
Email: DPO@stats.gov.sa
How to submit a complaint?
If you have any complaints or issues regarding our adherence to the National Data Management Office's policy regarding the protection of personal data, you can contact the Data Governance Department via email at info@stats.gov.sa.
You can email the GASTAT’s Data Governance Department at DPO@stats.gov.sa to file a complaint if you are dissatisfied with how we handled your complaint or if we did not reply to you within three working days.
If GASTAT’s Data Governance Department does not resolve your complaint within 7 days, you may also file a complaint with the National Data Management Office about how we use your personal data.
Address of National Data Management Office:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
Website: Complaints (sdaia.gov.sa)