KUALA LUMPUR (April 29): The cost of a plate of nasi lemak — a beloved Malaysian staple — has skyrocketed by 81.3% over the past 13 years, rising from RM2.03 in 2011 to RM3.68 in 2024. This increase significantly exceeds the national inflation rate of 28.7% during the same period, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
DOSM’s Analysis of Annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) 2024 report highlights a gap between real-world food prices and the official measure of inflation long felt by Malaysians.
While the CPI — which tracks the average price changes for goods and services — climbed from 103.2 points in 2011 to 132.8 points in 2024, staple food items have seen far sharper rises.
Food and beverages hold the largest weight in the CPI basket at nearly 30%. However, the index has not kept pace with actual price hikes seen in popular food items, raising concerns about how accurately it reflects the real cost of living, especially for lower- and middle-income Malaysians.
The urban-rural divide also reveals interesting trends. In urban areas, food prices rose by 51.19% between 2011 and 2024, while rural areas experienced a smaller increase of 36.27%. Still, both figures fall short of nasi lemak’s 81.3% jump.
Other popular foods have recorded similar price hikes over the 13-year period: chicken satay which is up more than 100%, from 51 sen to RM1.09; roti canai which rose 71.1%, from 90 sen to RM1.54; and even a plate of white rice which has increased 73.7%, from RM1.14 to RM1.98.