KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 21): The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said on Friday (Jan 21) average prices of chicken in the country rose 13.6% to RM9.54 a kilogramme from RM8.40 a year earlier as the nation contended with a heavy rain-driven food-supply shortage, which also led to an increase in prices of vegetables and seafood.
"Eggs as another source of protein recorded a double-digit [price] increase of 13.5% in December 2021, while milk also went up 3% [in prices],” the department added in a statement to announce the country’s December 2021 and full-year inflation reading.
Malaysia’s inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased 3.2% in December 2021 from a year earlier mainly due to a rise in food and fuel prices and the base effect, according to the DOSM.
The index’s 3.2% y-o-y increase in December 2021 partly contributed to the nation’s leap into an annual inflation of 2.5%, compared to a 1.2% deflation in 2020, the department noted.
For the fourth quarter of 2021 (4Q21), the CPI rose 3.2% from a year earlier.
In quarterly terms, the index increased 1.2% from 3Q21.
"On a monthly basis, the CPI increased 0.4% as compared to November 2021,” the DOSM added.