Qatar’s population fell 6 percent in July to 2,326,464 people, the lowest it’s been all year.

But the country has still grown by about 200,000 people, or 10 percent, since last July, according to new figures from the Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics (MDPS).

This is despite the fact that thousands of white-collar expats have left the country for good this summer.

Meanwhile, the number of blue-collar laborers working on large infrastructure projects continues to grow.

Not so quiet

July has historically been one of the quietest months of the year in Qatar, with many people traveling to beat the heat.

The roads are certainly less congested these days, as many schools are closed for the summer.

But in what may be a “new normal” for Qatar, grocery stores are still crowded during summer weekends, and rush hour on the roads can be more harrowing than expected for this time of the year.

Looking ahead, the population typically increases in August as more families return ahead of the new school year.

However, with Eid Al Adha expected to fall in the second week of September, it’s possible many residents won’t come back until after the holiday.

Thoughts?