Overview

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The overall index for Consumer Price Index (CPI) posted -0.4 per cent in February 2019 as compared to -0.7 per cent in the previous month. In terms of index number, the CPI recorded 120.8 as against 121.3 in corresponding month of the preceding year. The decrease in the index of Transport (-6.8 per cent) which contributed 14.6 per cent of overall weight was countered by the increase in the index of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+2.0 per cent) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+1.0 per cent). 

Nevertheless, Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages continued to increase in February 2019 by 1.0 per cent to 133.1 as compared to 131.8 in corresponding month of the preceding year. Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages contributes 29.5 per cent of CPI weights. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels also showed an increase of 2.0 per cent, followed by Restaurants & Hotels (+1.3 per cent), Education (+1.3 per cent) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+1.1 per cent). (Chart 1)

The CPI for the period of January-February 2019 declined by 0.5 per cent as compared to the same period last year. On a monthly basis, CPI increased 0.2 per cent as compared to January 2019.

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

Index for Sub-Groups Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

The overall index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased 1.0 per cent in February 2019. This was attributed by the food sub-group index of Meat (+2.1 per cent), Milk & Eggs (+1.8 per cent), Fish & Seafood (+0.1 per cent) and Fruits (+0.1 per cent). Conversely, the index for sub-group Vegetables decreased 6.3 per cent, followed by Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate & Confectionery (-2.2 per cent) and Oils & Fats (-0.6 per cent).

Among the index of goods which recorded price increases in most states were Eggs (+14.2 per cent), Bird’s Eye Chillies (+5.8 per cent), Cockles (+5.5 per cent), Ginger (+4.6 per cent), Chicken (+4.5 per cent), Apples (+2.7 per cent), Bananas (+2.4 per cent), Potatoes (+1.8 per cent), Prawn (+1.1 per cent) and Beef (+1.0 per cent).

Meanwhile, the index for Food Away From Home increased 3.4 per cent in February 2019 as against February 2018. The rise in the price of Burger, Fried Chicken, Rice with Side Dishes and Food Made from Noodles contributed to the increase of the index of this sub-group.

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

Consumer Price Index by States 

All states recorded a decrease between -0.2 per cent to -1.4 per cent in February 2019 as compared to the same month in the previous year. However, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur and Pulau Pinang showed an increase of 0.3 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively.

The increase in the index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages was registered in most states in Malaysia. Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (+3.7 per cent) and Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (+1.3 per cent) recorded higher increases for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages index above the national index level in February 2019 as compared to the corresponding month in 2018. Pulau Pinang recorded the same rate as the national index level for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages. (Chart 2)

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

Core Index

Core index increased 0.3 per cent in February 2019 as compared to the same month of the previous year. Among the major groups which influenced the higher core rate were price increases for Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+2.3 per cent), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+1.7 per cent), Restaurants & Hotels (+1.3 per cent) and Education (+1.3 per cent).

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, February 2019/February 2018

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

Released By:

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

22 March 2019

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