Food prices in Malaysia rose 1.9% year-on-year in August 2026, edging up from a 1.8% increase in July and marking the fastest pace since September 2025. The food and beverages category, which accounts for 29.8% of the overall CPI basket, remains the largest component of consumer inflation.
Price pressures strengthened across all major components, including:
- Food consumed at home: 1.4% (vs 1.2% in July)
- Cereals and cereal products: 0.2% (unchanged from 0.2%)
- Meat: 3.5% (vs 3.2%)
- Fish and other seafood: 0.9% (vs 1.1%)
- Milk, dairy products and eggs: 1.5% (vs 0.8%)
- Oils and fats: 0.1% (vs 0.2%)
- Fruits and nuts: 1.4% (vs 1.1%)
- Vegetables: 2.8% (vs 1.0%)
- Sugar, confectionery and desserts: 0.5% (vs 0.4% and 0.5%)
- Food away from home: 2.5% (unchanged from 2.5%)
