KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's headline inflation increased to 1.4 per cent in April 2025 with the consumer price index at 134.3 versus 132.4 the same month a year ago, according to the Statistics Department Malaysia (DOSM).
In a statement today, DOSM said the rise was driven by a 4.1 per cent increase against a 3.6 per cent increase in March 2025 in the personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services group, one out of 13 groups of goods and services.
"Education rose 2.3 per cent (March 2025: 2.2 per cent) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 2.0 per cent (March 2025: 1.9 per cent)," it said.
The groupings which recorded a slower increase versus March 2025 are as follows: Food and beverages (F&B) fell to 2.3 per cent (2.5 per cent); recreation, sport and culture, 1.3 per cent (1.7 per cent), health, 0.9 per cent (1.0 per cent) and furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 0.1 per cent (0.2 per cent).
According to DOSM, the groups which saw a similar rate as the prior month are restaurant and accommodation services (2.9 per cent), insurance and financial services (1.5 per cent), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (0.8 per cent) and transport (0.7 per cent).
"Additionally, information and communication and clothing and footwear, remained in negative territory registering -4.5 per cent and -0.1 per cent, respectively," DOSM chief statistician Datuk Sri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said.
Commenting further, he said the F&B group contributes 29.8 per cent of the total CPI weight. The fall in the price of vegetables; milk, other dairy products and eggs; fruits and nuts; cereals and cereal products and meat contributed to a slower increase of the F&B group.
The subgroup of food at home rose 0.5 per cent versus 0.6 per cent in the month prior.
He said the average price for diesel in Peninsular Malaysia was RM2.95 per litre against RM2.15 in April 2024 (March 2025: RM3.08).
"However, the average price of diesel in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan remained at RM2.15 per litre.
DOSM said Kelantan and Putrajaya had the lowest increase at 0.5 per cent, and four states saw increases above the national inflation level, Johor (2.2 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (1.7 per cent), Selangor (1.7 per cent) and Melaka (1.6 per cent).
Vietnam's inflation is 3.1 per cent, Indonesia 2.0 per cent while Thailand is -0.2 per cent and China -0.1 per cent, DOSM said. - Bernama
