GASTAT updates Wholesale Price Index methodology with 2023 base year and 23-city coverage

GASTAT has revised its Wholesale Price Index, moving the base year from 2014 to 2023, widening the basket from 343 to 554 items and extending coverage from 3 to 23 cities in all 13 regions.

What was announced

On 14 October 2026 the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) announced an updated methodology for calculating the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which tracks the prices of goods at the stage before retail. GASTAT said results under the new method would be published from the following day.

Key details

• New reference year: 2023 replaces 2014.
• Weights: revised using the 2023 Supply and Use Tables, import values and agricultural census data, with annual chain-linking so that weights can be updated every year.
• Basket: expanded from 343 to 554 items, with a revised product classification.
• Coverage: increased from 3 cities to 23, covering all 13 administrative regions, supported by a new sample design and geospatial data to place pricing points.

Why it matters for businesses

The WPI is widely used by manufacturers, distributors, importers and contractors as a reference for input costs, and it often appears in supply and construction contracts as a basis for price adjustment. A newer base year and broader coverage should make the index more representative of today's wholesale markets, including regional price differences.

The change also creates a practical consideration: series compiled on the old 2014 base may not be directly comparable with the new one. Companies with price-escalation clauses, cost models or internal dashboards linked to the WPI should check which series they reference. In August 2026, under the previous publications, GASTAT reported that the WPI was 4.6% higher than a year earlier, well above consumer inflation of 1.8%, which underlines the index's relevance for cost planning.

What to watch next

• GASTAT's monthly WPI releases under the new methodology and any linked or back-cast series.
• Methodology notes explaining how historic data should be compared with new results.
• Consumer price releases, which together with the WPI indicate how cost pressures pass through to end prices.

What businesses may want to do

Procurement, finance and legal teams may want to review contracts and models that reference the WPI, confirm which index base they rely on, and agree with counterparties how the methodology change will be handled. Updating cost dashboards to the new series will help keep budgeting and pricing decisions consistent.

Sources

• General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT): GASTAT Updates the Methodology for Calculating WPI
• General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT): Inflation in Saudi Arabia reaches 1.8% in August 2026

How Sokrab can help

• Custom reporting dashboards
• Financial management advisory