March CPI up 5.1% from year before

PETALING JAYA: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March 2017 increased by 5.1%, compared with the same month in 2016, owing to the low base last year and higher retail fuel prices, according to Statistics Department.
Among the major groups that recorded increases were transport (up 23%), food & non-alcoholic beverages (4.1%), recreation services & culture (3%), health (2.6%), restaurants and hotels (2.3%) and housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (2.1%).
Based on a seasonally adjusted term, the overall CPI for March 2017 decreased 0.1% as compared to February 2017.
Nevertheless, the department said core inflation remained stable at 2.5% in March 2017 compared to the same month of the previous year.
Core inflation, which excludes most volatile items of fresh food, as well as administered prices of goods and services recorded changes ranging from 2.3% to 2.5% in the period January to March 2017 compared to the same period of the previous year, it added.