KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s consumer inflation rate eased to 1.4% year-on-year in March 2025, marking the slowest pace of price growth since early 2021, as gains in several non-food categories moderated, according to data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 134.1 points in March, compared to 132.2 in the same month a year earlier, Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement.
“The softer inflation print was primarily driven by a slower increase in prices for personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services, which rose 3.6% in March, down from 3.7% in February,” he said.
The restaurant and accommodation services segment also saw a notable deceleration, with inflation cooling to 2.9% from 3.5% the previous month. Similarly, price gains in housing, utilities, and fuel slowed to 1.9% (February: 2.3%), while the alcoholic beverages and tobacco category edged up 0.8% (February: 0.9%). Furnishings and household maintenance posted a marginal 0.2% increase.
Some sectors, however, recorded higher year-on-year inflation. These included education, which rose 2.2%, and recreation, sport, and culture at 1.7%.
Inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages, insurance and financial services, health, and transport remained unchanged from February, at 2.5%, 1.5%, 1.0%, and 0.7% respectively.
On the downside, information and communication, as well as clothing and footwear, continued to register deflation, with prices falling by 5.4% and 0.2% respectively.
The moderation in headline inflation aligns with recent central bank projections, suggesting that price pressures remain manageable amid a mixed economic environment.–BERNAMA
