Malaysia's consumer inflation in May fell to its lowest level in three years, as food prices rose more moderately.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia announced that the consumer price index, a leading indicator of Malaysia's inflation, recorded a 1.2% jump in May, compared to the same month in 2024.
The index was the lowest rate since February 2021, and far below the expected increase of 1.4% based on a Bloomberg survey.
Furthermore, the food and beverage sub-index also contributed almost 30% of the overall index, jumping 2.1% compared to 2.3% in April, driven by an increase in eating out.
Other categories recorded slower price increases in May, including social protection, personal care, education, housing, water, electricity, fuel and various services.
According to Bank Negara Malaysia, headline inflation is also expected to remain in a moderate range of between 2.0% to 3.5%, driven by declining global costs and stable demand.
