PETALING JAYA: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined 1.4% in December 2020 to 120.6 as against 122.3 in the same month of the preceding year, attributed by the decline in transport (-8.4%); housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (-3.3%); clothing & footwear (-0.4%); restaurants & hotels (-0.2%) and furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance (-0.1%) which contributed 48.6% to overall weight.
Chief statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said out of 552 items covered in CPI, 339 items showed an increase in December 2020 as against December 2019. On the contrary, 145 items declined, while 68 items were unchanged. Based on the performance of 552 items by category of goods and services, non-durable goods (296 items) is a category that experienced the most price increased with 206 items, 73 items decreased and 17 items were unchanged as compared to services, semi-durable goods and durable goods.
Nevertheless, food & non-alcoholic beverages increased by 1.4% to 135.8 as compared to 133.9 in corresponding month of the preceding year. This group contributes 29.5% of CPI weight. Similarly, miscellaneous goods & services inclined by 2.2%, followed by health (1.0%), alcoholic beverages & tobacco (0.6%), education (0.6%) and recreation services & culture (0.2%).
CPI without fuel fell 0.1% in December 2020 to 112.8 as compared to 112.9 in the same month of the preceding year. CPI without fuel covers all goods and services except unleaded petrol RON95, unleaded petrol RON97 and diesel.
The average price of unleaded petrol RON95 in December 2020 decreased to RM1.74 per litre as compared to RM2.08 in December 2019. In addition, the average price of unleaded petrol RON97 decreased to RM2.04 per litre as compared to RM2.63 while the average price of diesel declined to RM1.93 per litre from RM2.18 in the corresponding month of the preceding year.
Core index rose 0.7% in December 2020 as compared to the same month of the previous year. Among the major groups which influenced the increase were miscellaneous goods & services (2.2%); food & non-alcoholic beverages (1.2%), health (1.0%); housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (0.6%) and education (0.6%). Core index excludes most volatile items of fresh food as well as administered prices of goods and services.
Although year-on-year CPI decreased, CPI on a monthly basis increased by 0.5% as compared to November 2020, attributed by transport (3.0%) and alcoholic beverages & tobacco (0.5%).
Meanwhile, CPI for the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased 1.5% to 120.3 as compared to 122.1 in the same quarter of the previous year. On a quarterly basis, the CPI increased 0.2% as compared to the third quarter of 2020. The CPI for the year 2020 registered a decrease of 1.2% as compared to last year.
The index for all states decreased between -0.9% to -2.2% in December 2020 as compared to December 2019. The highest decrease was recorded by Kedah & Perlis at -2.2%. This was followed by Sabah & Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan (-2.0%), Johor (-2.0%), Malacca (-2.0%), Sarawak (-1.9%) and Negeri Sembilan (-1.9%).
However, all states registered an increase in the index of food & non-alcoholic beverages. The highest increase was recorded by Pahang at 2.3%. This was followed by Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (2.2%), Perak (2.0%), Terengganu (2.0%) and Negeri Sembilan (1.7%).
