Consumer price index rises to one-year high

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.2% to 118.2 in January 2017 from 114.5 in the corresponding month of the preceding year, the highest since February last year.
Among the major groups that recorded increases were the indices for transport (+8.3%), food & non-alcoholic beverages (+4.0%), recreation services & culture (+3.2%), health (+2.5%), restaurants and hotels (+2.1%), education (+2.0%) and housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (+1.9%).
The index of transport group showed a significant increase of 8.3% on a year-on-year basis in January 2017, after falling 0.6% and 1.5% in December 2016 and November 2016.
The index for food & non-alcoholic beverages, which accounted 30.2% in the CPI weights, increased 4.0% in January 2017.
The index for food & non-alcoholic beverages recorded an increase higher than the rate of overall CPI.
Core inflation rose 2.3% in January 2017 compared to the same month of the previous year.