Qatar’s population declined by 4.3 per cent to reach 2.48 million as of 30 June compared to 2.59 million recorded in end May.

While the decline could be cyclical due to June being a summer month, the rate of decline during this period of the current year is more remarkable given that the population contracted by merely 1.3 per cent during the same period in 2015.

Ramadan extended through end June both this and in the previous year.

The statistic, published by the Development Planning and Statistics Ministry, excludes Qataris and expatriates with residency permits who were outside the country as of 30 June.

On the upside, the latest figure is 5.7 per cent higher compared to the same period in 2015.

It is likely that job cuts across multiple sectors could have contributed to the reported decline in Qatar’s population.

Persistently low oil prices have prompted job cuts at energy companies in Qatar. State-owned Qatar Petroleum (QP) laid off an estimated 3,000 jobs in 2015, while QP subsidiary Ragas and Danish energy and shipping company Maersk also cut jobs in 2015.

The country’s public healthcare sector was reported to be planning laying off up to 1,000 expatriate staff during the year, while Qatar Rail in January has laid off some 50 employees.

In March, Doha-based Al-Jazeera also announced laying off 500 employees.