CPI up 0.9 per cent in November — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures headline inflation, inched up 0.9 per cent in November 2019 to 122.1 against 121.0 recorded in the same month last year, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia ( DOSM).

In a statement yesterday, Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase in the overall index was driven by the index of miscellaneous goods and services ( 2.5 per cent); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.7 per cent); education ( 1.6 per cent); food and nonalcoholic beverages ( 1.5 per cent); communication ( 1.5 per cent), as well as furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (1.5 per cent).

“Out of 552 items covered in the CPI, 353 items showed an increase in November 2019 against November 2018. On the contrary, 143 items declined while 56 items were unchanged,” he said.

On a monthly basis, Mohd Uzir said the CPI ticked up 0.1 per cent as compared to October 2019, mainly supported by the index of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (0.4 per cent); miscellaneous goods and services (0.4 per cent) and health (0.2 per cent).

“The CPI for the period of January to November 2019 registered an increase of 0.7 per cent as compared to the same period last year,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir noted that the CPI of three states, namely Kuala Lumpur ( 1.4 per cent), Selangor and Putrajaya (1.3 per cent) and Pulau Pinang ( 1.1 per cent) surpassed the national CPI rate of 0.9 per cent in November 2019 as compared with the same month last year.

All states registered an increase in the index of food and non- alcoholic beverages, with Selangor and Putrajaya ( 2.0 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (1.9 per cent), Pulau Pinang (1.9 per cent), Perak (1.8 per cent), Johor ( 1.8 per cent) and Kedah and Perlis (1.6 per cent) surpassing the national food and non- alcoholic beverages index of 1.5 per cent in November 2019, he said.