KUALA LUMPUR–Malaysia’s consumer-price growth eased in September, primarily driven by lower food prices.
According to the Department of Statistics, the September consumer price index saw a 1.9% increase compared to the previous year. This figure is slightly lower than the 2.0% growth recorded in August and the median forecast of a 2.1% rise from a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal, which involved nine economists.
The sector with the biggest impact on the index, food and non-alcoholic beverages, witnessed a 3.9% rise in prices on a yearly basis. However, this increase marks a slowdown from the 4.1% gain experienced in August.
When excluding volatile prices of fresh food and government-administered goods, core inflation rose by 2.5% compared to the same period last year.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices in September increased by 0.1%, slightly lower than the 0.2% rise observed in August.
Inflation Figures by Sector
Here is a breakdown of the inflation figures for Malaysia by sector in September:
| Sector | Index Weighting % | Change YoY | |——–|——————|————| | Food & Non-Alcoholic Drinks | 29.50% | 3.9 | | Housing, Utilities & Fuels | 23.80% | 1.6 | | Transport | 14.60% | -0.1 | | Misc Goods & Services | 6.70% | 2.5 | | Recreation Services & Culture | 4.80% | 0.6 | | Communication | 4.80% | -3.7 |
