Malaysia's inflation rises to 4.4% in July

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian's inflation jumped 4.4% to 127.9 in July 2022, its highest in more than a year, as the cost of food continued to accelerate.

The increase in the consumer price index (CPI), the highest since April 2021, was in line with the median forecast of a Reuters poll of analysts.

Announcing the July inflation data in a statement, the National Statistics Department said the increase in inflation was also due to the low base effect last year as a result of the electricity bill discount from 5% to 40% according to total usage given to domestic consumers.

For July, the food index rose 6.9%, serving as the main contributor the increase in overall inflation.

"Apart from the Food group, all other groups also continued to record increases except for Communication which remained unchanged as compared to the same month of the previous year.

"Restaurants & Hotels increased 5.8 per cent followed by Transport (5.6%); Furnishings, Household Equipment & Routine Household Maintenance (4.0%) and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas & Other Fuels (3.8%).

"Meanwhile, Recreation Services & Culture also registered an increase of 2.5 per cent, Miscellaneous Goods & Services (2.1%) and Education (1.2%)," said the statistics department.

The core inflation and inflation without fuel registered an increase of 3.4% and 4.2% respectively in July 2022 as compared to the same month of the preceding year.

On a monthly basis, the inflation increased 0.4% as compared to June.

For the January to July period, the inflation increased 2.8% as compared to the same period last year.