KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — National inflation eased to 1.3 per cent in October 2025, down from 1.5 per cent in September 2025, said the Malaysian Statistics Department (DOSM).
It said the moderation was mainly driven by slower price increases in the food and beverages group, which rose 1.5 per cent (September 2025 at 2.1 per cent), and in the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group, which recorded a 1.1 per cent increase (September 2025 at 1.5 per cent).
Based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for October 2025, DOSM said that prices rose in personal care, social protection, and miscellaneous goods and services by 6.0 per cent (September 2025 at 4.8 per cent); as well as restaurants and accommodation services by 3.4 per cent (September 2025 at 3.3 per cent).
Others include health by 1.5 per cent (September 2025 at 1.3 per cent); recreation, sport, and culture by 1.2 per cent (September 2025 at 0.9 per cent); as well as furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance by 0.3 per cent (September 2025 at 0.2 per cent).
In addition, insurance and financial services (5.6 per cent), education (2.4 per cent) and alcoholic beverages and tobacco (0.3 per cent) remained unchanged from September 2025. However, information and communication (-2.4 per cent), clothing and footwear (-0.3 per cent) and transport (-0.1 per cent) recorded declines in October.
It said that core inflation rose to 2.2 per cent in October 2025, up from 2.1 per cent in September, driven by higher prices in personal care, social protection, and miscellaneous goods and services (6.0 per cent); restaurants and accommodation services (3.4 per cent); health (1.5 per cent); recreation, sport, and culture (1.2 per cent); and furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance (0.3 per cent).
Meanwhile, food and beverages (2.5 per cent) and transport (2.0 per cent) recorded slower increases than the previous month.
About 60 per cent of items (344 out of 573) recorded price increases. Of these, 335 items (97.4 per cent) rose by 10 per cent or less, while only nine items increased by more than 10 per cent in October 2025. The remaining 181 items (31.6 per cent) declined, and 48 remained unchanged.
“To a certain extent, the prices of administered items have eased the inflation rate in October 2025. Among these items that remained unchanged compared with the same month of the previous year are cooking gas (tank) for domestic use, cigarettes, unleaded petrol RON95, and government hospital medical expenses.
“Meanwhile, several goods showed significant increases, including jewellery of gold (44.3 per cent), grated coconuts (27.0 per cent), fresh coconut milk (29.2 per cent), lemon (22.4 per cent), and plumbing services (14.7 per cent),” DOSM said.
At the state level, most states recorded inflation rates below the national rate of 1.3 per cent, with Kelantan registering the lowest at 0.1 per cent in October 2025.
However, six states recorded inflation above the national level: Johor (1.9 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (1.7 per cent), Selangor (1.6 per cent), Wilayah Persekutuan (WP) Kuala Lumpur (1.6 per cent), Melaka (1.4 per cent), and Terengganu (1.4 per cent).
All states experienced increases in food and beverage prices, with Kelantan recording the lowest at -0.6 per cent. Meanwhile, eight states recorded food and beverages inflation above the national average of 1.5 per cent.
These included Negeri Sembilan (2.6 per cent), WP Labuan (2.5 per cent), Melaka (2.3 per cent), Pahang (2.1 per cent), WP Kuala Lumpur (2.0 per cent), Johor (1.9 per cent), Selangor (1.7 per cent), and Terengganu (1.7 per cent), while the remaining states recorded increases equal to or below the national average.
Compared with selected countries in the Asia Pacific region, Malaysia's inflation (1.3 per cent) was lower than the Philippines (1.7 per cent), Indonesia (2.9 per cent), and South Korea (2.4 per cent), but higher than China's (0.2 per cent).
