Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s services producer price index (SPPI) increased by 0.6 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, compared to a 0.5 per cent rise in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin reported that the arts, entertainment, and recreation index saw a growth of 6.6 per cent, up from 6.1 per cent previously. This growth was driven by other amusement and recreation activities, which represented a 2.1 per cent increase.
The accommodation and food and beverage service activities index continued its upward trend, increasing by 3.6 per cent, compared to 3.1 per cent in the previous quarter. This was supported by rises in the indices for restaurants and mobile food service activities at 4.0 per cent, and beverage service activities at 3.1 per cent. Other indices also recorded increases, including education (1.2 per cent), health (0.6 per cent), professional (0.5 per cent), and real estate activities (0.1 per cent).
Mohd Uzir highlighted that the transportation index recorded a decline of 3.1 per cent, compared to a 2.4 per cent decline in the previous quarter, primarily due to a significant drop in the passenger air transport index by 12.4 per cent. Additionally, the information and communication index decreased by 0.2 per cent, influenced by a decline in wireless telecommunications activities by 0.1 per cent.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the SPPI rose by 0.3 per cent, maintaining the same rate as in the previous quarter. Mohd Uzir attributed the rise mainly to the accommodation and food and beverage service activities index, which increased by 1.0 per cent. The education and arts, entertainment, and recreation indices each recorded a 0.7 per cent increase. Other indices that showed an increase included real estate activities (0.4 per cent), health (0.3 per cent), professional (0.2 per cent), and transportation (0.1 per cent), while the information and communication index remained unchanged.