MALAYSIA’S consumer price index (CPI) in March 2022 rose by 2.2% to 125.6 against 122.9 in March 2021, said the Statistics Department today.

In a statement, chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the rise in headline inflation was mainly driven by the 4% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in food and non-alcoholic beverages.

“Food inflation remained a major contributor to inflation. The 4% growth in the food and non-alcoholic beverages group was largely due to an increase in the food at home component, which rose by 4.3% compared to 4.1% recorded in February 2022,” he added.

Uzir said the meat subgroup continued to be the main contributor to the food inflation, rising by 7.6% in March 2022.

“Chicken, the biggest component in the meat subgroup, expanded 10.5%, while beef rose by 4.3%,” he added.

Meanwhile, the rise in furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (3%), restaurants and hotels (2.9%) and transport (2.6%) had also contributed to the overall CPI.

Miscellaneous goods and services also grew by 1.9%, while recreation services and culture expanded by 1.1%.

Both housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index, as well as education, registered an increase of 0.9%, respectively, while the alcoholic beverages and tobacco index, as well as health, increased marginally by 0.5% and 0.2%, respectively.

On a monthly basis, the March 2022 CPI increased 0.3% compared to February 2022, attributed to the growth in transport (1.1%) and miscellaneous goods and services (0.6%).

Uzir said all states recorded increases in inflation, with Selangor and Putrajaya rising above the 2.2% national inflation level at 2.9%. 

Core inflation registered an increase of 2.0% y-o-y in March 2022, with the transport group recording the highest increase at 3.9%.

Other groups which recorded an increase were the food and non-alcoholic beverages group (3.5%), furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (3.0%); restaurants and hotels (2.9%), miscellaneous goods and services (1.9%) and recreation services and culture (1.1%). – Bernama, April 22, 2022.