KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Leading Index (LI) annual growth moderated in July 2025, declining 0.5 per cent to 114.3 points from 114.9 points in the same month last year, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin cited double-digit declines in real imports of other basic precious and non-ferrous metals (-16.3 per cent) and the Bursa Malaysia Industrial Index (-13.4 per cent) as factors behind the softer performance.
"The monthly LI rebounded 0.5 per cent in July 2025, following a 0.3 per cent fall in June. This recovery was driven by gains in five of the seven components, particularly real imports of semiconductors, which rose 0.5 per cent,” he said in a statement today.
The LI offers an early signal of turning points in the business cycle and the near-term direction of the economy.
DOSM said the smoothed long-term trend of the LI in July 2025 remained below 100 points, signalling a moderate trajectory for the economy ahead.
"Stronger sectoral performance and steady domestic demand will help the nation navigate global challenges,” it said.
Meanwhile, the coincident index (CI), which tracks current economic performance, rose 2.2 per cent to 129.7 points in July 2025 from 126.9 points a year earlier.
This growth was supported by gains across all CI components, with real contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) the largest contributor at 5.4 per cent.
"Monthly CI performance strengthened 1.2 per cent, led by the Industrial Production Index and real EPF contributions, both up 0.3 per cent,” DOSM said. - Bernama
