Inflation Malaysia 2021

Average inflation: 2.5%

Current Inflation

Inflation is normal at 2.5%, around the ECB target.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in April at 4.7%. The lowest inflation was in January at -0.2%.

Highest month
April: 4.7%
Lowest month
January: -0.2%
Difference
4.9 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Food with an average of 1.8%. The lowest price increase was in Core inflation with an average of 0.5%.

Highest increase
Food: 1.8%
Lowest increase
Core inflation: 0.5%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 1.1% higher than the 5-year average of 1.4%.

5-year average
1.4%
10-year average
1.8%
All-time high (2008)
5.4%
All-time low (2020)
-1.1%

Trend

Inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 2020, inflation has risen by +3.6 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
+3.6 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
April: +7.6 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 0.5% above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.

Purchasing Power

At this inflation rate, purchasing power noticeably decreases. Without a salary increase, you can buy less with the same money.

What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €102.50 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2021

Inflation by category

Food
1.8%
-0.7vs avg.
More details →
Energy
1.6%
-0.9vs avg.
More details →
Core inflation
0.5%
-2.0vs avg.
More details →

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2020
January -0.2% -1.8
February 0.1% -1.2
March 1.7% +1.9
April 4.7% +7.6
May 4.4% +7.3
June 3.4% +5.3
July 2.2% +3.5
August 2.0% +3.4
September 2.2% +3.6
October 2.9% +4.4
November 3.3% +5.0
December 3.2% +4.6
Average 2.5%

Data source

Data from WorldBank. Last updated: 06/01/2026.

See also