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September inflation: 1.8% nationally, 2.41% in Labuan, 0.54% in Sarawak

In the same month, transport rose 2.53% and clothing just 0.22%.

Xiao Hai · HiGo Corner JournalTrendingLast checked 20 October 20263 min read

Illustration: the inside of a traditional coffee shop at night, painted in soft gradients on a dark brown ground, with light spilling out of a wide shopfront in the middle set in layered ochre frames; two customers sit facing each other at a table in front of it, a man in an orange shirt walks towards the doorway, another man in pale clothing stands behind a counter at the left rear, and more customers sit at round tables on dark bentwood chairs in the shadows. Text: a label at the top reads Trending · Malaysia; across the middle, Inflation 1.8%; below it, Labuan 2.41% · Sarawak 0.54%; a band along the bottom carries Every corner, everywhere., the round HiGo mark, HiGo Corner Journal and higo.shop
Illustration: AI-generated (ChatGPT).
Last checked20 October 2026

The 1.8% in the headlines is a national average. By state, September's rise ran from 2.41% in Labuan to just 0.54% in Sarawak.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) announced on 19 October 2026 that national inflation in September 2026 was 1.8%. DOSM release page

That came in a little below what the market expected: The Edge Malaysia reported the same day that economists in a Bloomberg survey had a median forecast of 1.9%.

Illustration: a stone-topped round table outside a coffee shop holding a cream cup of black coffee with a green floral pattern, its saucer and a spoon, and beside it a plate of stacked toast; a faint ring mark is left on the table top; behind it, a blurred row of shophouses, tables and customers seen from behind
Inflation tracks a basket of everyday spending, coffee and toast included. Illustration: AI-generated (ChatGPT).Image: HiGo

What it means for you

  • Your state makes a big difference. Measured against September last year, W.P. Labuan was the highest of the 16 states and federal territories at 2.41% and Sarawak the lowest at 0.54%, a gap of 1.87 percentage points.
  • Nine were above the national rate: W.P. Labuan, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, W.P. Putrajaya, Kedah, Pahang, Selangor, Sabah and W.P. Kuala Lumpur. Selangor was at 1.90%, W.P. Kuala Lumpur 1.85% and Johor 2.22%. At the other end, Pulau Pinang and Melaka were both at 1.52%, and the smallest rises were in Kelantan, Perlis and Sarawak.
  • If you commute, transport is the one to watch: it rose 2.53%, faster than the national rate. DOSM's transport category includes buying a car, running one and taking public transport, among other things. Clothing and footwear rose only 0.22% in the same month, a gap of 2.31 percentage points.
  • The fastest risers were alcoholic beverages and tobacco (2.82%) and personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services (2.80%); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 1.44% and education 2.08%.
September year-on-year rise in the 16 states and federal territories (%, worked out from DOSM indices, 2025-09 to 2026-09)
  • W.P. Labuan2.41
  • Negeri Sembilan2.39
  • Johor2.22
  • W.P. Putrajaya2.19
  • Kedah2.18
  • Pahang2.1
  • Selangor1.9
  • Sabah1.85
  • W.P. Kuala Lumpur1.85
  • Melaka1.52
  • Pulau Pinang1.52
  • Terengganu1.16
  • Perak1.08
  • Kelantan0.69
  • Perlis0.55
  • Sarawak0.54

Worked out from the overall indices DOSM publishes; on the same basis the national rate comes to 1.78% (DOSM published 1.8%). The figures go down to states and federal territories only. Bar lengths are in proportion to the values.

Illustration: a petrol station at dusk, with an unmarked dispenser in the foreground, its nozzle resting in the holster and the hose trailing to the ground; the wet forecourt reflects the warm canopy light; further back a car waits with its tail lights on, and beyond it are palm trees, a street lamp and a lit row of shophouses against a deep blue sky; two figures stand side by side to the right of it, and at the far left edge, behind the dispenser, a third figure is half cut off by the frame
Transport was one of the categories that rose faster than the national rate in September. Illustration: AI-generated (ChatGPT).Image: HiGo

Still to come

  • October's figures will only be out on 19 November 2026.

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