By Media Selangor Team
SHAH ALAM, Feb 25 — Household incomes in Selangor and across Malaysia have grown faster than inflation, although rising living costs are still a challenge for some families, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
Citing the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2024, Akmal pointed out that average household income nationally rose from RM8,479 to RM9,155 in 2024, representing an annual growth rate of 3.8 per cent, compared to the 1.8 per cent inflation rate the same year.
In Selangor, the average household income rose from RM12,233 to RM13,296 over the same period, marking a 4.2 per cent increase, while in the Klang district, which includes Kapar, it grew from RM10,278 to RM10,912, up 3.0 per cent.
The median income also increased — from RM6,338 in 2022 to RM7,017 in 2024 (5.1 per cent annually) at the national level, from RM9,983 to RM10,726 (3.6 per cent) at the state level, and from RM8,203 to RM8,837 (3.8 per cent) at the Klang district level.
However, Akmal said data from the Poverty Line Income (PGK) and the Cost of Living Index (IKHS), issued by the Statistics Department (DOSM), show a continuing upward trend in prices for essential goods and services, especially affecting lower income households.
He noted that the national poverty line income increased from RM2,589 in 2022 to RM2,705 in 2024, while the IKHS shows that Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Selangor recorded among the highest living costs.
As a result, he said household spending went up too. National average spending rose from RM5,150 in 2022 to RM5,566 in 2024, with an annual increase of 3.9 per cent.
In Selangor, he said average household spending climbed from RM6,770 to RM7,266, while in Klang it rose from RM6,622 to RM6,927 over the same period.
“Overall, average income growth of 3.8 per cent, which is higher than the inflation rate of 1.8 per cent in 2024, has somewhat helped to improve household purchasing power.
“However, the marginally higher growth in average expenditure, at a rate of 3.9 per cent, indicates that households continue to face cost-of-living challenges,” he said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
He was responding to Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali on government measures to ensure household incomes in Selangor, especially in Kapar, keep pace with rising living costs.
Akmal said the government remains attentive to the cost of living issue under the Madani Economy framework, which focuses on the people’s wellbeing.
Among initiatives to address the rising costs of living and poverty include financial cash aid, targeted assistance under the Social Welfare Department, targeted subsidies, price stabilisation programmes, and increase in minimum wages.
“We are confident that the various reforms implemented to date have contributed to the increase in household income to address the cost of living,” he said.
