Malaysia Food Prices Rise the Most in 11 Months

Food prices in Malaysia rose 1.9% year-on-year in August 2026, up slightly from a 1.8% 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 (1.4% vs 1.2% in July), cereals & cereal products (0.2% vs 0.2%), meat (3.5% vs 3.2%), fish & other seafood (0.9% vs 1.1%), milk, dairy products & eggs (1.5% vs 0.8%), oils & fats (0.1% vs 0.2%), fruits & nuts (1.4% vs 1.1%), vegetables (2.8% vs 1.0%), sugar, confectionery & desserts (0.5% vs 0.4% vs 0.5%), and food away from home (2.5% vs 2.5%).

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.