According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM), the country's headline inflation remains at 1.5% for January 2024 with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 131.4 points compared to 129.5 the previous year.
Head of DoSM, Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the increase in inflation was driven by a low increase in restaurant and accommodation services (3.2%), personal care, social protection and various goods and services (2.5%).
In addition, the health sector (2.4%), food and drink (2.0%) and housing, water, electricity, gas and fuel (2.0%).
Commenting further, the transport sector increased relatively slowly which was 0.7% compared to December 2023 (0.3%).
DoSM said, monthly inflation continued to show an increase of 0.2% with housing, water, electricity, gas, fuel, food and drink and health recording monthly increases of 0.2% to 0.4% respectively.
Meanwhile, core inflation rose more slowly at 1.8% compared to 1.9% in December 2023. It surpassed the overall national inflation rate of 1.5% due to restaurant services and accommodation posting moderate increases of 3.2% and 2.9% respectively in January 2024.
Malaysia's inflation rate remained at 1.5%, lower than the United States (3.1%), the Philippines (2.8%), South Korea (2.8%), the European zone (2.8%) and Indonesia (2.6%).
However, it is higher than Thailand (-1.1) and China (-0.8).
