Consumer Price Index declines by 1.4% in September 2020

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According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September 2020 declined by 1.4 percent to 120.1, compared to 121.8 in the same month of the preceding year.

The overall decline was derived from a drop in the categories of transportation (-9.9 percent), housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (-3.0 percent) and clothing & footwear (-0.6 percent).

Nevertheless, there was also an increase in areas such as food & non-alcoholic beverages (1.4 percent), miscellaneous goods & services (2.7percent), communication (1.6 percent), and health (1.1 percent).

Among the subgroups that contributed to an increase of 1.4 percent for the food & non-alcoholic beverages index are vegetables (5.1 percent), food products not elsewhere classified (2.7 percent), fruits (1.8 percent), oil & fats (1.7 percent) and meat (1.0 percent). 

Additionally, cooked beef, cooked fish and Nasi Lemak are contributing subgroups for food away from home. The index of goods that recorded a year-on-year price increase in most states were ginger (19.5 percent), small onion (16.4 percent), dried chili (14.6 percent), and big onion (14.2 percent).

Regarding CPI for states, Melaka, Sabah, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan, Kedah and Perlis recorded the highest decrease of 2.2 percent, compared to September 2019. The decrease was followed by Sarawak (-2.1 percent), Negeri Sembilan (-1.9 percent) and Johor (-1.9 percent).

However, all states registered an increase in the index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages where the highest was Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya (2.4 percent), followed by Terengganu (1.6 percent), Johor (1.5 percent), and Perak (1.5 percent).

Based on the statistics, CPI without fuel (all goods and services except Unleaded Petrol RON95, Unleaded Petrol RON97, and Diesel) shows a positive rate of 0.1 percent in September 2020 as compared to September 2019. 

Among the major groups which influenced the increase of 1.0 percent of core index were miscellaneous goods & services (2.7 percent), communication (1.6 percent), food & non-alcoholic beverages (1.4 percent), and health (1.1 percent).

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