Overview

Summary Findings

Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 1.7 per cent in March 2021 to 122.9 as against 120.9 in the same month of the preceding year. The increase in the overall index was driven by the index of Transport (9.8%); Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (1.5%); Miscellaneous Goods & Services (1.0%); Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (0.9%); Alcohol Beverages & Tobacco (0.6%); Health (0.5%) and Recreation Services & Culture (0.5%) which contributed 64.0 per cent to overall weight.

Nevertheless, Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels declined by 0.8 per cent, followed by Clothing & Footwear (-0.3%). Meanwhile, the CPI in the first quarter of 2021 inclined 0.5 per cent to 122.5 as compared to 121.9 in the same quarter of the preceding year. On quarterly basis, the CPI increased 1.8 per cent as compared to the fourth quarter of 2020.

Chart 1: Percentage Change of Consumer Price Index by Main Group

On a monthly basis, CPI increased by 0.3 per cent as compared to February 2021. The increase was attributed by Transport (2.3%); Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (0.6%); Recreation Services & Culture (0.4%); Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (0.1%); Restaurants & Hotels (0.1%) and Health (0.1%).

CPI without Fuel 

The CPI without fuel increased 0.5 per cent in March 2021 to 113.7 as compared to 113.1 in the same month of the preceding year. CPI without fuel covers all goods and services except Unleaded Petrol RON95, Unleaded Petrol RON97 and Diesel.

Core Index

Core index rose 0.7 per cent in March 2021 as compared to the same month of the previous year. Among the major groups which influenced the increase were Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (1.1%); Miscellaneous Goods & Services (1.0 %); Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (0.9%); Transport (0.6%); Health (0.5%) and Recreation Services & Culture (0.5%).

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

Consumer Price Index by State 

Five states namely Terengganu (2.8%), Kelantan (2.3%), Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (1.9%), Pahang (1.9%) and Negeri Sembilan (1.8%) surpassed the national CPI rate of 1.7 per cent in March 2021 as compared to the same month of the previous year.

All states registered an increase in the index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages. The highest increase was recorded by Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya 2.2 per cent. This was followed by Terengganu (2.0%), Pahang (1.9%), Kelantan (1.8%) and Perak (1.7%).

Chart 2: Percentage Change of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages Group by State

The full publication of the Consumer Price Index Malaysia, March 2021 can be downloaded from eStatistik portal.

Released By:

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

23 April 2021

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