Overview

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The CPI increased by 1.3 per cent in March 2018 to 120.9 compared to 119.4 in corresponding month of the preceding year. Among the major groups which recorded increases were the indices for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+2.8 per cent), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (+2.1 per cent), Health (+2.0 per cent), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+2.0 per cent), Restaurants and Hotels (+2.0 per cent) and Education (+1.1 per cent). (Chart 1)

On a monthly basis, CPI decreased 0.3 per cent as compared to February 2018. CPI for the period January-March 2018 registered an increase of 1.8 per cent as compared to the same period last year.

Chart 1: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Percentage Change by Main Groups, Malaysia, March 2018/March 2017

Index for Sub-Groups Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

The overall index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages which accounted 29.5 per cent in the CPI weights, increased 2.8 per cent in March 2018. The increase was driven by food sub-group index which comprised of Fish & Seafood (+4.6 per cent), Fruits (+2.0 per cent), Milk & Eggs (+1.6 per cent), Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate & Confectionery (+1.1 per cent) and Vegetables (+0.9 per cent). Slowing in pace of 0.9 per cent for the sub-group Vegetable index in March 2018 (February 2018: 1.7 per cent) was due to the index of goods which showed a drop in most states such as Long Beans (-8.3 per cent), Round Cabbage (-7.5 per cent) and French Beans (-7.5 per cent). Meanwhile, the index for Food Away From Home increased 3.9 per cent in March 2018.

Table 1: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Annual Percentage Change by Sub-Groups Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Malaysia, March 2018/March 2017

States Index

In terms of overall CPI, three states surpassed the national CPI rate of 1.3 per cent recorded in March 2018 as compared to March 2017. The states are Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (+1.6 per cent), Melaka (+1.5 per cent) and Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (+1.4 per cent).

Meanwhile, the higher increase in the index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages was reflected in most states in Malaysia. Four states recorded higher increases for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages index above the national index level (+2.8 per cent) in March 2018 as compared with the corresponding month in 2017. The index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose 4.1 per cent in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, 3.4 per cent in Sabah & Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan, 3.4 per cent in Johor and 3.1 per cent in Pulau Pinang. (Chart 2)

Chart 2: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Annual Percentage Change for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages by State,
March 2018/March 2017

Core Index

Core inflation rose 1.7 per cent in March 2018 as compared with the same month of the previous year. Among the major groups which influenced the higher core rate were price increases of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+3.0 per cent), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+2.4 per cent), Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (+2.1 per cent), Health (+2.0 per cent) and Restaurants & Hotels (+2.0 per cent). Core inflation differs from overall CPI (headline CPI) where the former is calculated by excluding prices for goods and services that are subject to fluctuations which considered transitory in nature and do not have a lasting impact on the underlying trend in inflation. These include nine of the CPI's most volatile items of fresh food, as well as administered prices of goods and services.

Table 2: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Percentage Change of Headline CPI, Seasonally Adjusted Index and Core Index by Main Groups, Malaysia, March 2018/ March 2017

Annex 1

Average Price for Selected Items in Malaysia, March 2018 (RM)

Released By:

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

18 April 2018

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