FX.co ★ Malaysia Retail Sales Growth at Over 1-Year Low

In April 2025, Malaysia experienced a 4.7% year-on-year rise in retail sales, a deceleration from the 6.6% growth observed the previous month. This represents the lowest growth rate since January 2024, as sales in several sectors showed signs of slowing: food, beverages, and tobacco saw an increase of 7.8% compared to 8.1% in March; automotive fuel sales rose by 5.6%, down from 7.9%; cultural and recreational goods sales climbed 3.1%, slightly lower than the previous 3.7%; other household equipment sales grew by 3.6%, compared to 5.8%; sales through stalls and markets increased by 8.3%, slightly slower than the prior 10%; non-store or stall-based trade saw a 6.5% rise, down from 9%; and other goods reported a growth of 4.5%, down from 7.3%. Contrarily, sales in the information and communication equipment sector accelerated to 5.5% from the previous 5%. On a monthly comparison, retail sales dropped by 0.3% in April 2025, undoing a 2.9% increase recorded the month before. Additionally, the growth in wholesale trade reduced to 4.7% in April from 5.7% in March 2025, while vehicle trade activity slightly declined to 2.1% from 2.3% in the preceding month.