CPI up 2.3% in April, food inflation higher at 4.1%

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in April 2022 increased 2.3% to 125.9 compared to 123.1 in the same month of the preceding year, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said today.

According to its CPI April 2022 released today, the increase surpassed the average inflation in Malaysia for the period of January 2011-April 2022 (1.9%).

Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said food inflation in April was higher at 4.1% with 89.1% of food items in the food and beverages (F&B) group recording increases.

This was followed by restaurants and hotels (3.2%), transport (3.0%), furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (2.7%), miscellaneous goods and services (1.8%), and recreation services and culture (1.3%), he said in a statement today.

Uzir said education increased by 1.0%, and housing, water, electricity, and gas and other fuels climbed 0.8%.

He said alcoholic beverages and tobacco and health increased marginally by 0.5% and 0.2%, respectively.

“Communication remained unchanged, while clothing and footwear declined 0.2% compared to the same month of the preceding year,” he said.

He said the increase in food inflation, which contributed the most to the overall weight of the CPI, remained a major contributor to inflation.

“Inflation for this group increased 4.1% in April 2022 compared to the same month of the previous year.

“The increase in food and non-alcoholic beverages group was largely due to an increase in the component for food away from home which inclined 4.4% compared to 4.0% in March 2022,” he said.

He added that an increase had been recorded in all subgroups for food and non-alcoholic beverages such as milk, cheese and eggs (7.2%), meat (6.2%), vegetables (4.5%), and fish and seafood (3.8%).

“The increase in vegetable prices was due to weather uncertainties that affected the maturity of vegetables and caused a decline in supply in the market.

“In addition, the incline in prices was attributed to the increase in fertiliser prices, logistics costs and labour shortage at agricultural sites,” he said.

The increase in the transport group was largely due the increase in the average price of unleaded petrol, RON97, at RM3.84 per litre compared to RM2.55 per litre in the same month last year.

This was in line with the 63.3% increase in Brent crude oil prices to US$105.78 per barrel in April 2022.

On a monthly basis, the CPI increased 0.2% compared to March 2022, attributed by food and non-alcoholic beverages, transport, recreation services and culture, and restaurants and hotels which increased marginally by 0.4%, respectively.

Uzir said all states had registered increases in inflation with the highest increase recorded by Selangor and Putrajaya (3.1%)
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He added that inflation for those earning below RM3,000 increased 2.3% from 123.6 in April 2021 to 126.4 in April 2022.