Prices in two key black-market fuels were unchanged in the first week of the year as reported by Slogger sources in nine different Baghdad neighborhoods.

As the tables show, for the week ending January 5, on-the-street prices of gasoline, and of cooking fuel, used in food preparation, both remain considerably higher than state-set prices, but do not manifest the price volatility that these two commodities often experienced last year. In fact, in the last report, for the week ending December 22, five of the nine districts where Slogger tracks its data each week showed prices falling by double digits in one or both of the two key fuels.

The official price of gasoline is set by the state at 400 Iraqi dinars (ID) per liter, and the price of cooking fuel is set at 4,000 ID per refillable canister. However, these fuels are often unavailable at state-sanctioned retailers at these rates, forcing Iraqis to turn to the black markets to meet their fuel needs.

Prices for cigarettes and two kinds of staple breads, khubuz and samoun, also remain unchanged since the last report, as show below.

Note that there was no Baghdad prices reporting for the week ending December 29 due to the Muslim and Christian holidays. For all of IraqSlogger's exclusive price check reporting, click here.

Auto fuel (ID/liter)

Cooking gas (ID/cylinder)

Khubuz bread (ID/piece)

Samoun bread (ID/piece)