Overview

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew at a slower pace of 0.3 per cent in September 2018 due to the impact of RON95 fuel prices which remained at RM2.20 from March 2018 to September 2018 as compared to the same period in 2017. Although Sales & Service Tax (SST ) was re-instated beginning September 1, 2018, in terms of the index, it did not show significant change as compared to a year ago.

Five of the twelve main groups still record positive annual price changes namely Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (+2.1 per cent), Restaurants & Hotels and Education (+1.1 per cent) respectively, Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+0.5 per cent) and Transport (+0.3 per cent). (Chart 1). 

On a monthly basis, CPI increased 0.4 per cent as compared to August 2018. CPI for the period January-September 2018 registered an increase of 1.2 per cent as compared to the same period last year.

Chart 1: Consumer Price Index (2010=100): Percentage Change by Main Groups, Malaysia, September 2018/September 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 0.5 per cent in September 2018. This was attributed by the food sub-group index of Fish & Seafood of 0.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the index for sub-group Meat and Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate & Confectionery decreased 2.3 per cent respectively, followed by index for sub-groups Milk & Eggs (-1.3 per cent), Vegetables (-1.2 per cent) and Oils & Fats (-0.8 per cent). The decrease was due to the index of goods which dropped in most states such as Garlic (-20.4 per cent), Watermelons (-4.5 per cent), Chicken (-3.9 per cent), White Sugar (-3.1 per cent), Hardtail Scad (Fish) (-2.5 percent), Dried Chilly (-2.4 per cent), Choy Sum (-2.0 per cent), Prawns (-1.0 per cent) and Indian Mackerel (Fish) (-0.9 per cent). Meanwhile, the index for Food Away From Home increased 2.6 per cent in September 2018 as against September 2017.

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

States Index

In terms of overall CPI, three states surpassed the national CPI rate of 0.3 per cent recorded in September 2018 as compared to September 2017. The states were Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (+0.9 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (+0.7 per cent) and Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (+0.4 per cent). Meanwhile, Pulau Pinang showed the same rate as the national CPI.

The 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 (+0.5 per cent) in September 2018 as compared to the corresponding month in 2017. The index for Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose 3.0 per cent in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, followed by Sarawak (+0.8 per cent) and 0.7 per cent in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya respectively. (Chart 2)

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

Core Index

Core inflation increased 0.3 per cent in September 2018, 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), Education and Restaurants & Hotels (+1.1 per cent) respectively and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+1.0 per cent). Core inflation, which excludes most volatile items of fresh food, as well as administered prices of goods and services recorded changes ranging from -0.2 per cent to 2.2 per cent for the period January to September 2018 as compared with the same period of the previous year. (Table 2)

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

Annex 1: Average Price for Selected Items in Malaysia, September 2018 (RM) 

Released By:

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

26 October 2018

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