Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): Malaysia's inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), rose 5.1% in March from a year earlier, led by a significant increase in transport prices.

In February, the CPI grew 4.5% year-on-year (y-o-y).

"The overall index for CPI rose at a higher rate of 5.1% in March 2017 owing to the low base last year and higher retail fuel prices compared to March 2016," a Statistics Department's statement showed.

"Among the major groups which recorded increases were the indices for transport (+23%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (+4.1%), recreation services and culture (+3%), health (+2.6%), restaurants and hotels (+2.3%) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+2.1%)," it noted.

According to the department, the CPI's transport segment increased 23% y-o-y in March, after rising 17.9% in February.

"The average price of 1 litre of RON95 petrol was RM2.29 in March 2017 compared to RM1.60 in March 2016. As for RON97, the average price increased to RM2.59 in March 2017 compared to RM1.95 in March 2016. Fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment accounted for 7.8% of the CPI weights," said the department.

The index for food and non-alcoholic beverages, which accounted for 30.2% in the CPI weights, increased 4.1% in March.

Meanwhile, year to date, the CPI rose 4.3% from a year earlier, according to the department, with the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages as the main contributor to the rise.

Month-on-month (m-o-m), the CPI in March fell 0.1%, compared to a m-o-m growth of 1.3% in February.

 

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