March CPI rises by 1.3 per cent

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures headline inflation, increased by 1.3 per cent in March 2018 compared with the corresponding month last year.

In a report yesterday, the Department of Statistics( Do S) said, the major groups which recorded increases were the indices for food and non-alcoholic beverages (+2.8 per cent), furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (+2.1 per cent), health (+2.0 per cent), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+2.0 per cent), restaurants and hotels (+2.0 per cent) and education (+1.1 per cent).

Meanwhile, it said the JanuaryMarch 2018 CPI increased 1.8 per cent as compared with the same period in 2017.

Chief Statistician, Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, said the overall index was also affected by the drop in the transport group by 1.5 per cent in March 2018.

“Other groups which also showed decreases were the clothing and footwear (-0.7 per cent) and communication (-0.7 per cent),” he said.

The DoS also reported that in terms of the overall CPI Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (+1.6 per cent), Melaka (+1.5 per cent) and Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (+1.4 per cent) surpassed the national CPI rate of 1.3 per cent recorded in March 2018 as compared with March 2017.

Meanwhile, the department also reported a higher increase in the index for food and nonalcoholic beverages was seen in most states.

“Four states recorded higher increases for food and nonalcoholic beverages index above the national index level (+2.8 per cent) in March 2018 versus the same corresponding month in 2017.

“The index for food and nonalcoholic 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 Penang,” it added.