Overview

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 1.0 per cent in December 2019 to 122.3 as against 121.1 in the same month of the preceding year. The increase in the overall index was driven by the index of Miscellaneous Goods & Services (2.4%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (1.7%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (1.7%), Education (1.7%),  Communication (1.5%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (1.4%) and Health (1.4%). (Chart 1)

On a monthly basis, CPI rose 0.2 per cent as compared to November 2019. The increase was mainly supported by the index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (0.5%) and Restaurants & Hotels (0.2%).

Meanwhile, CPI in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased 1.0 per cent to 122.1 as compared to 120.9 in the same quarter of the previous year. On a quarterly basis, the CPI increased 0.3 per cent as compared to the third quarter of 2019.

The CPI for the year 2019 registered an increase of 0.7 per cent as compared to last year.

Chart 1: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Percentage Change by Main Group, Malaysia, December 2019/December 2018

Index for Sub-Groups Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

The index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased 1.7 per cent in December 2019 as compared to the same month of the previous year. The increase was attributed by the food sub-group of Vegetables (5.7%), Fish & Seafood (2.5%), Food Products not elsewhere classified (1.8%) and Fruits (1.4%).

Among the index of goods which recorded price increases in most states were Small Onion (30.7%), Garlic (25.3%), Big Onion (21.7%) and Cucumbers (19.7%).

The index for Food Away From Home increased 2.5 per cent in December 2019 as against December 2018. The increase in price of Rice with Side Dishes, Food Made from Noodles and Fried Chicken contributed to the increase of the index of this sub-group. (Table 1)

Table 1: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Annual Percentage Change by
Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages Sub-Groups, Malaysia, December 2019/December 2018

Consumer Price Index by States 

Three states namely Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (1.5%), Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (1.4%) and Johor (1.1%) surpassed the national CPI rate of 1.0 per cent in December 2019 as compared to the same month in the preceding year.

All states registered an increase in the index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages. The highest increase was recorded by Johor (2.5%) followed by Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (2.1%) and Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (2.1%), surpassed the national index of 1.7 per cent for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages in December 2019. (Chart 2)

Chart 2: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Annual Percentage Change for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages by State,
December 2019/December 2018

Core Index

Core index rose 1.4 per cent in December 2019 as compared to the same month of the previous year. Among the major groups which influenced the increases were Miscellaneous Goods & Services (2.4%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (2.1%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (1.8%), Education (1.7%), Communication (1.5%), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (1.4%) and Health (1.4%).

Core index excludes most volatile items of fresh food as well as administered prices of goods and services. (Table 2)

Table 2: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Percentage Change of Headline CPI, Seasonally Adjusted Index and
Core Index by Main Groups, Malaysia, December 2019/December 2018

Annex 1: Average Price for Selected Items in Malaysia, December 2019 (RM)

Released By:

DATO' SRI DR. MOHD UZIR MAHIDIN
CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, MALAYSIA
 DrUzir_Mahidin      Dr_Uzir

22 January 2020

Contact person:

Mohd Yusrizal bin Ab. Razak 
Public Relation Officer
Strategic Communication and International Division
Department of Statistics, Malaysia
Tel : +603-8885 7942
Fax : +603-8888 9248
Email : yusrizal.razak[at]dosm.gov.my

For interviews, press statement and clarification to the media, contact:

Baharudin Mohamad

Public Relation Officer

Email: baharudin[at]dosm.gov.my

Phone: 03 8885 7942

Not found what you looking for? Request data from us, through

Go to eStatistik

email to data[at]dosm.gov.my

call 03 8885 7128 (data request)