Malaysia Food Prices Rise the Most in 10 Months

Food prices in Malaysia rose 1.8% year-on-year in July 2026, accelerating from a 1.4% increase in the previous month and marking the fastest pace since September 2025. The food & beverages category accounts for 29.8% of the overall CPI basket, making it the largest component. Upward price pressures came from all components, including food consumed at home (1.2% vs 0.5% in June), cereals & cereal products (0.2% vs 0.2%), meat (3.2% vs 1.5%), fish & other seafood (1.4% vs 1.6%), milk, dairy products & eggs (0.8% vs 0.1%), oils & fats (0.2% vs 0.2%), fruits & nuts (1.1% vs 1.0%), vegetables (1.0% vs -1.8%), sugar, confectionery & desserts (0.4% vs 0.5%), and food away from home (2.5% vs 2.4%).

Food prices in Malaysia rose 1.4% year-on-year in June 2026, matching May's pace and remaining at the fastest rate in four months. The food & beverages category accounts for 29.8% of the overall CPI basket, with prices increasing in 169 of 247 food items. Inflation accelerated for food consumed at home (0.5% vs 0.3% in May), cereals & cereal products (0.2% vs 0.1%), meat (1.5% vs 0.2%), and oils & fats (0.2% vs a flat reading). Costs also continued to rise for fish & other seafood (1.4% vs 1.6%), fruits & nuts (1.0% vs 1.4%), sugar, confectionery & desserts (0.5% vs 0.5%), and food away from home (2.4% vs 2.5%). Meanwhile, prices of milk, other dairy products & eggs inched up 0.1%, reversing a 0.8% decline in May.

Food prices in Malaysia rose 1.4% year-on-year in May 2026, up from 1.2% in April. The food & beverages group (accounts for 29.8% of CPI weight) showed broad-based increases as 160 of 247 items (64.8%) recorded higher prices. The rise was driven by food at home, which increased 0.3% (vs 0.0% in April), while food away from home eased slightly to 2.5% (vs 2.6%), reflecting slower increases in murtabak (4.1% vs 4.3%), fried rice (3.4% vs 3.9%), roasted pork rice (3.2% vs 3.4%), cooked fish (2.1% vs 2.7%), and roti canai (2.6% vs 2.8%). Among subcomponents, prices rose for meat (0.2% vs 0.5%), oils & fats (0.0% vs 0.1%), sugar, confectionery & desserts (0.5% vs 0.1%), and ready-made food. Meanwhile, inflation eased for fish & seafood (1.6% vs -0.2%), milk & eggs (-0.8% vs -0.3%), fruits & nuts (1.4% vs -0.1%), vegetables (-1.5% vs 1.6%), and water (-1.0% vs -0.3%), while cereals were flat at 0.1% (vs 0.0%).