Overview

Consumer Price Index Malaysia January 2015 (Updated: 18/2/2015)

The Consumer Price Index ( CPI ) for the month of January 2015 increased at a slower rate of 1.0 per cent to 110.6 compared with 109.5 in the same month last year. The main group contributing to the decline was Transport, which fell 6.0 per cent. The reduction in the index for Transport was attributed by significant decline in the expenditure class for fuel and lubricants for personal transport by 10.6 percent ( refer Table 18 ). Other decreases were Communication and Clothing & Footwear by 1.0 and 0.1 per cent respectively. In addition, the index for Furnishing, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance and Recreation Services & Culture decreased by 0.5 per cent respectively.

Apart of that, main groups contributed to the increase were Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco group by 10.6 percent; Restaurants & Hotels by 3.4 per cent; and Health ( + 3.2 per cent ).

Overall, the index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased by 2.8 percent and the index for Non-Food ( + 0.2 per cent ) in January 2015 compared with the same month in 2014 ( Table 1 ). The index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages accounted for 88.9 percent of the overall CPI.

CPI changes for January 2015 / 2014

The slower increase of the percentage ( +1.0 per cent ) in the CPI was brought about by decreases observed in the indices of Transport ( - 6.0 per cent ); Communication ( - 1.0 per cent ); and Clothing & Footwear ( - 0.1 per cent ). However, these decreases balance by the increase among these main groups with high weights were Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages ( + 2.8 per cent ) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels ( + 2.1 per cent ).

Table 1 : CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR MAIN GROUPS, MALAYSIA (2010=100)

Based on the above changes and the weights assigned to the main groups, the relative contribution to the overall increase of 1.0 per cent in the CPI can be identified as shown in Table 2. The three main groups, Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels; and Transport together accounted for 46.9 per cent of the overall increase recorded for the current period.

Table 2 : CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHANGES IN THE OVERALL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
BY MAIN GROUPS, MALAYSIA (2010=100)

Table 3 : CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR SUB-GROUPS OF FOOD AND
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, MALAYSIA (2010=100)

Monthly Changes for CPI

When compared with the previous month, the CPI for January 2015 decreased by 1.1 per cent. Decreases were for three main groups namely Transport ( - 9.4 per cent ); Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels ( - 0.5 per cent ); and Communication ( - 0.1 per cent ). On the other hand, increases were for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages ( + 1.2 per cent ); Education ( + 0.7 per cent ); Clothing & Footwear ( + 0.6 per cent ); Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance; Recreation Services & Culture and Miscellaneous Goods & Services by 0.4 per cent respectively; Health and Restaurants & Hotels by 0.3 per cent respectively; and  Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco ( + 0.1 per cent ).

The 1.2 per cent increase in the index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages in January 2015 compared with the previous month was the result of increases in the index for Food At Home ( + 1.7 per cent ); Food Away From Home ( + 0.3 per cent ); Coffee, Tea, Cocoa & Non-Alcoholic Beverages ( + 0.2 per cent ).

Among the food items which recorded notable increases in January 2015 compared with the previous month were Lady’s Finger ( + 22.5 per cent ); Long Beans ( + 21.8 per cent ); Spinach ( + 19.3 per cent ); French Beans ( + 18.5 per cent ); Cucumber ( + 16.9 per cent ); Tomatoes ( + 16.8 per cent ); Watermelon ( + 12.2 per cent ); Choy Sum ( + 12.1 per cent ); Cuttlefish ( + 6.2 per cent ); Round Cabbage ( + 4.5 per cent ); Threadfin Bream (Fish) ( + 4.0 per cent ); Red Chillies ( + 3.9 per cent ); Black Pomfret (Fish) ( + 3.1 per cent ); Spanish Mackerel ( Fish) ( + 3.0 per cent ); Hardtail Scad  (Fish) ( + 2.7 per cent ); Indian Mackerel (Fish) ( + 2.5 per cent ) and Prawns ( + 2.3 per cent ).

Meanwhile, the index of some food items decreased in January 2015 compared with the previous month. Among these were Ginger ( - 7.5 per cent ); Round Scad (Fish) ( - 1.8 per cent ); Malt Drinks ( - 0.2 per cent ) and Wheat Flour ( - 0.2 per cent ).

A reclassification of items according to their durability and services rendered showed increases in the index for Semi-Durable Goods ( + 0.5 per cent ); Durable Goods ( + 0.2 per cent ) and Services ( + 0.1 per cent ). Meanwhile, the index for Non-Durable Goods decreased by 2.7 per cent respectively.

RELEASED BY:

THE OFFICE OF CHIEF STATISTICIAN MALAYSIA
DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS MALAYSIA

18 FEBRUARY 2015

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