KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 4.4 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to 127.9 in July 2022 compared to 122.5 in the same month of the preceding year.

Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the food index increased 6.9 per cent and remained as the main contributor to the rise in inflation during the month.

“The increase in Malaysia’s inflation this month was also due to the lower base effect last year as a result of the electricity bill discount from five to 40 per cent according to total usage given to domestic consumers under the National People’s Well-Being and Economic Recovery Package (PEMULIH) from July to September 2021,” he said in a statement today.

He said there are food items that showed a slower growth momentum in July 2022 compared to June 2022. Among the subgroups were fish and seafood (4.2 per cent) and vegetables (7.1 per cent).

Apart from the food group, Mohd Uzir said all other groups also continued to record increases except for communication which remained unchanged compared to the same month of the previous year.

Restaurants and hotels increased 5.8 per cent followed by transport (5.6 per cent); furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance (4.0 per cent) and housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels (3.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, recreation services and culture also registered an increase of 2.5 per cent, miscellaneous goods & services (2.1 per cent) and education (1.2 per cent).

The DOSM statement said inflation for January to July 2022 increased 2.8 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year.

On a monthly basis, inflation increased 0.4 per cent compared to June 2022.

The increase was mainly attributed by restaurants & hotels (0.8 per cent) and food & non-alcoholic beverages (0.7 per cent). This was followed by furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance (0.6 per cent) and transport (0.5 per cent).

The core inflation and inflation without fuel registered an increase of 3.4 per cent and 4.2 per cent respectively in July compared to the same month of the preceding year.

Inflation for all states rose with three states showing increases above the national level of 4.4 per cent.