Malaysia Inflation Rate Stays at 11-Month High

2026-02-19 04:21 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Malaysia’s annual inflation held at 1.6% in January 2026, unchanged from the previous month and in line with market expectations.

The latest reading remained at its highest level since January 2025, as upward price pressures came from most components, including food & drinks (1.5% vs 1.5% in December), alcoholic beverages & tobacco (2.5% vs 2.5%), housing (1.2% vs 0.9%), furnishing (0.2% vs 0.3%), health (1.4% vs 1.5%), communication (0.7% vs 0.9%), recreation (0.9% vs 0.8%), education (3.2% vs 2.8%), restaurants & accommodation services (3.0% vs 3.1%), insurance & financial services (5.5% vs 5.6%), and miscellaneous items (6.6% vs 5.7%).

Meanwhile, clothing prices were flat after falling 0.1% previously.

In contrast, transport cost fell 0.7%, reversing a 0.1% gain in December.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile fresh food and administered prices, stayed steady at 2.3% yoy, its highest since October 2023.

Monthly, consumer prices edged up 0.1%, easing from a 0.3% rise in December.



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Malaysia Inflation Rate Stays at 11-Month High
Malaysia’s annual inflation held at 1.6% in January 2026, unchanged from the previous month and in line with market expectations. The latest reading remained at its highest level since January 2025, as upward price pressures came from most components, including food & drinks (1.5% vs 1.5% in December), alcoholic beverages & tobacco (2.5% vs 2.5%), housing (1.2% vs 0.9%), furnishing (0.2% vs 0.3%), health (1.4% vs 1.5%), communication (0.7% vs 0.9%), recreation (0.9% vs 0.8%), education (3.2% vs 2.8%), restaurants & accommodation services (3.0% vs 3.1%), insurance & financial services (5.5% vs 5.6%), and miscellaneous items (6.6% vs 5.7%). Meanwhile, clothing prices were flat after falling 0.1% previously. In contrast, transport cost fell 0.7%, reversing a 0.1% gain in December. Core inflation, which excludes volatile fresh food and administered prices, stayed steady at 2.3% yoy, its highest since October 2023. Monthly, consumer prices edged up 0.1%, easing from a 0.3% rise in December.
2026-02-19
Malaysia Inflation Rate Hits 11-Month High
Malaysia’s annual inflation came in at 1.6% in December 2025, compared with November’s figure and market forecasts of 1.4%. It was the highest reading since January, with upward price pressures evident across all components: food & drinks (1.5% vs 1.5% in November), alcoholic beverages & tobacco (2.5% vs 2.4%), clothing (0.1% vs -0.1%), housing (0.9% vs 0.7%), furnishing (0.3% vs 0.2%), health (1.5% vs 1.5%), transport (0.1% vs 0.2%), communication (0.9% vs -1.3%), recreation (0.8% vs 1.2%), education (2.8% vs 2.6%), restaurants & accommodation services (3.1% vs 3.4%), insurance & financial services (5.6% vs 5.6%), and miscellaneous items (5.7% vs 5.6%). Core inflation, which excludes volatile fresh food and administered prices, stood at 2.3% yoy, the highest since October 2023. Monthly, consumer prices increased 0.3%, picking up from a flat reading in November and pointing to the fastest pace in ten months.
2026-01-20
Malaysia Inflation Rate Below Estimates
Malaysia’s annual inflation accelerated slightly to 1.4% in November 2025, up from 1.3% in October but below market expectations of 1.5%. Inflation picked up for alcoholic beverages & tobacco (2.4% vs 0.3% in October) and education (2.6% vs 2.4%), while rebounding for transport (0.2% vs -0.1%). Meanwhile, inflation held steady for food prices (1.5%), remaining at the softest pace in over four years, as well as for financial services (5.6%), health (1.5%), recreation (1.2%), and restaurants (3.4%). Prices moderated for housing (0.7% vs 1.1%), furnishing (0.2% vs 0.3%), and miscellaneous items (5.6% vs 6.0%), amid declines in clothing (-0.1% vs -0.3%) and communication (-1.3% vs -2.4%). Core inflation, which excludes volatile fresh food and administered prices, rose 2.2% year-on-year, the same pace as in October, remaining the fastest in two years. On a monthly basis, consumer prices were unchanged after edging down 0.1% in October.
2025-12-22