What is Rakyat Index
Malaysia's Real-Time
Cost of Living Index
Rakyat Index measures what official CPI does not — the actual daily cost of living for Malaysian households. Groceries, tolls, rent, utilities, bank rates, fuel and salaries — updated from public sources every day.
Modelled on the global Truflation methodology and mapped to Malaysia's MCOICOP basket, calibrated against median household income across three economic tiers.
5
Necessity indexes
3
State cost tiers
Live
Data refresh
DOSM official CPI: 1.7% (Mar 2026 · 14-month high). Rakyat Index measures actual cost of living — what you actually pay at checkout, the toll booth, and the bank — diverging 0.5%–1.5% by tier and income group.
Rakyat Truflation Index
48
Calculating today's index…
0 Under Pressure35 Stretched50 Stable65 Recovering
Malaysia since Independence · 31 Aug 1957
0
Yrs
0
Mos
0
Days
0
Hrs
00
Min
00
Sec
OPR (BNM)
2.75%
Held steady
CPI Mar 2026
1.7%
14-month high · core 2.1% · fuel-driven
USD / MYR
3.9680
Ringgit strengthening
Federal Debt
1.32T
65.3% of GDP
Necessity Index
Grocery Basket
FX Rates
State Tiers
Toll Costs
Fuel Prices
EV Charging
Education
Household Debt
5 Necessity Pyramid Indexes
Affordability 0–100 · higher = more affordable
Below 50 Critical
50–64 Stressed
65+ Stable
↑ Rising ↓ Falling → Stable · 30-day price change
| Index · Level | T1 States | T2 States | T3 States | 30-Day Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 · Survival Food | 62 | 58 | 45 | ↑ +1.8% |
2 · Freedom Friction (transport · digital) | 38 | 65 | 80 | ↓ -0.7% |
3 · Safety Shelter (housing · utilities · medical) | 55 | 62 | 70 | → +1.2% |
4 · Growth Leverage (debt · savings) | 40 | 50 | 55 | → 0.0% |
5 · Legacy Baki (net disposable) | 51 | 59 | 62 | ↑ +1.1% |
These are the 8 most price-sensitive staples in the Malaysian kitchen, weighted by MCOICOP Food division purchase frequency. Prices shown are national median averages from KPDN groundstaff field collection across 2,000+ premises. Change is week-on-week. Food costs carry 30% of the RSI weight — the single largest signal of household pressure.
Beras Super Special (5kg)
RM 14.20
per 5kg bag
→ Stable
Telur Ayam Gred A (10pcs)
RM 4.80
per 10 pcs tray
→ Stable
Ayam Segar (whole)
RM 8.90
per kg
↑ +RM 0.20
Minyak Masak (1L)
RM 3.20
per litre bottle
→ Stable
Gula Pasir (1kg)
RM 2.85
per kg
→ Stable
Tepung Gandum (1kg)
RM 2.60
per kg
↓ −RM 0.10
Susu Segar UHT (1L)
RM 4.10
per litre
→ Stable
Ikan Kembung
RM 13.50
per kg
↑ +RM 0.50
KPDN PriceCatcher · National median · 2,000+ premises · Updated daily · Source: data.gov.my/pricecatcher
Live FX · Import Cost Basket
Updating…
USD / MYR
3.9680
Ringgit strengthening
CNY / MYR
1.74
Veg · hardware · 5% SST
INR / MYR
24.4018
Meat · spices · 5% SST
THB / MYR
8.24
Rice · fruit · 0% exempt
AUD / MYR
0.3543
Dairy · wheat · 0% MAFTA
SGD / MYR
0.33
Branded goods · 10% SST
SST Fresh
5%
Basic imported produce
SST Processed
10%
Branded · packaged
State Tiers · Household Income by Wealth Bracket
OpenDOSM →Household totals · not individual · DOSM HIES 2022 · 13MP · Official source
| Tier · States | Pop. | B40 /mo. | M40 /mo. | T20 /mo. | T15 Mahakaya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 Selangor · KL · Putrajaya | ~25% · 9M | < RM 7,500 | RM 7,500–13,499 | RM 13,500–19,029 | > RM 19,030 |
| Tier 2 Penang · Johor · Melaka · Sarawak · N.Sembilan · Labuan | ~35% · 12.5M | < RM 4,500 | RM 4,500–9,499 | RM 9,500–13,999 | > RM 14,000 |
| Tier 3 Perak · Kedah · Pahang · Terengganu · Kelantan · Perlis · Sabah | ~40% · 14.3M | < RM 3,810 | RM 3,810–7,019 | RM 7,020–11,999 | > RM 12,000 |
Highway & Toll Cost Index · By State Tier
LLM →Monthly commute toll cost · PLUS · LLM · KPDN · Estimated range · not official
| Tier | States | Highways | Est. monthly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Selangor · KL · Putrajaya | LDP · MEX · KESAS · NPE · SPRINT · DUKE · DUKE 2 · AKLEH · SMART Tunnel · KL–Putrajaya · ELITE · SKVE · BESRAYA · PLUS southbound | RM 180–320 est. range | PLUS · LLM |
| T2 | Penang · Johor · Melaka · Sarawak · N.Sembilan · Labuan | Penang Bridge (JPP) · SPBH · PORR · PLUS JB–Seremban · EDL · SDE · Linkedua · SPDH · LEKAS · AH2 · MEX southern | RM 80–180 est. range | JPP · Linkedua · LLM |
| T3 | Perak · Kedah · Pahang · Terengganu · Kelantan · Perlis · Sabah | LPT1 · LPT2 (Karak–Kuantan–K.Terengganu) · Karak Highway · Guthrie Corridor · CSR · PLUS Northern (Ipoh–Jitra) · Ipoh–Lumut · BKE · Kulim Hi-Tech | RM 30–90 est. range | ANIH · LLM · MIROS |
| Subsidies & exemptions | BUDI95 fuel cap 200L/mo · Tol Rahmah (Hari Raya · CNY · Deepavali) · MyKad senior discounts · Touch 'n Go monthly rebates | |||
RON 95
RM 1.99
BUDI95 subsidy · 200L/mo quota
Market price (unsubsidised)
RM 4.07/L
T20/T15 · SPCS commercial RM 2.05 · prev. week RM 3.87
↑ +RM 0.20
RON 97
RM 4.85/L
Fully market-priced · no subsidy
Week-on-week
↑ +RM 0.15
Previous week: RM 4.70/L · 14–20 May 2026
↑ Increased
Diesel B10/B20 (Euro 5)
RM 4.97/L
Peninsular · no subsidy
East Malaysia (Sabah · Sarawak · Labuan)
RM 2.15/L
Subsidised · B7 Euro 5 = RM 5.17 Peninsular
↑ +RM 0.10
EV Charging Prices · Home & Public AC & DC
May 2026 · per-kWh rates · standard pricing (excl. memberships & promos)
Home Charging · TNB Residential
Single-phase · 7kW max · Mode 3 EVSE
RM 0.22
to RM 0.57 /kWh
TNB domestic block tariff · lowest block 0–200kWh = RM 0.218/kWh · highest block >900kWh = RM 0.571/kWh · 6–12 hr overnight · cheapest option
Lowest cost
Public AC · Slow / Level 2
7kW · 11kW · 22kW · Type 2 (IEC 62196)
RM 1.00
to RM 1.15 /kWh
Gentari 7kW RM 1.00 · Gentari 11–22kW RM 1.15 · JomCharge AC RM 1.05–1.10 · ChargeSini AC RM 1.09 · Mall & destination charging · 4–10 hr full charge
Lower cost · slower
DC Fast Charging · Rapid / Level 3
50kW · 120kW · 180kW · 240kW · CCS2 · GBT
RM 1.35
to RM 1.80 /kWh
Gentari urban DC RM 1.50 · Gentari highway RM 1.70 · Gentari BESS RM 1.80 · JomCharge DC RM 1.40–1.50 · ChargeSini DC RM 1.19–1.49 · TNB Electron RM 1.35–1.80 · 20–45 min to 80%
Higher cost · fastest
Overstay fees: Gentari RM 1.00/min after charge completes (most sites) · JomCharge varies by location ·
Memberships: Gentari Go Power Pass RM 899/yr (50% off, capped RM 2,400/yr) · JomCharge Elite RM 9.90/mo (10% off) ·
Off-peak: JomCharge Night Saver 15% off DC 12am–7am ·
Apps: Gentari Go (Setel) · JomCharge · ChargeSini · GoTo-U (TNB Electron) · PlugShare (aggregator)
Education Affordability Index · By State Tier
Annual cost as % of median household income · Modelled estimate
OpenDOSM →Tier 1 · Selangor · KL · Putrajaya
—
Median HH income RM 7,500–13,499/mo · Highest private school density
Stressed · high private uptake
Tier 2 · Penang · Johor · Melaka · Sarawak
—
Median HH income RM 4,500–9,499/mo · Growing private sector
Moderate pressure
Tier 3 · Perak · Kedah · Kelantan · Sabah
—
Median HH income RM 3,810–7,019/mo · Mostly government school reliance
Government school reliant
Malaysia Household Debt · Composition by Purpose
BNM CCRIS →
At 84.3% of GDP, Malaysia's household debt is among the highest in Southeast Asia. But the type of debt matters: mortgage dominance means most borrowing is asset-backed. The risk lies in personal loans and credit cards — higher interest, no collateral, and disproportionately held by M40 households already stretched by rising costs.
Total household debt
RM 1.65T
84.3% of GDP · Mar 2025 · BNM
Household financial assets
RM 3.45T
2.1× debt · net buffer intact
NPL ratio
1.1%
Dec 2025 · Stable
Median DSR
34%
Outstanding loans · prudent range
Debt by Purpose
Housing loans
59%
Vehicle loans
13%
Personal financing
13%
Credit cards
3%
Other purposes
12%
National Sovereignty · Federal Government Debt
MoF →Malaysia Independence
—
Since 31 Aug 1957
Federal Debt
RM 1.32T
65.3% of GDP
Debt Ceiling
65%
Breached · 65.3% vs 65%
Debt Service
RM 58.3B
17% of revenue
Fiscal Deficit
3.5%
Consolidating
Int'l Reserves
USD 128.8B
4.7 months import cover · 30 Apr 2026
OPR (BNM)
2.75%
Held steady
Headline CPI
1.7%
Mar 2026 · DOSM
Public Sector Stress Gauges
Debt-to-GDP
65.3%
Emoluments / budget
32.3%
Pension / OpEx
12.7%
Unemployment rate
2.9%
Reserve cover (months)
4.7
Wage Growth vs Inflation · Real Purchasing Power
DOSM →Nominal wages rising does not mean workers are better off — only real wage growth (above CPI) improves purchasing power. Since 2022, nominal wages have largely outpaced headline CPI, but actual grocery and housing costs rose faster than the basket average, meaning lower-income households still feel squeezed despite the positive headline.
Median formal wage · Dec 2025
RM 3,167
+4.0% YoY · 7.08M formal employees · DOSM Q4 2025
Headline CPI · Mar 2026
1.7%
Real wage gain: +2.3pp above inflation · purchasing power improving at headline level
Median Salary Trend · DOSM Annual · Formal sector monthly
2021
RM 2,062
Baseline
2022
RM 2,400
+16.4%
2023
RM 2,602
+8.4%
2024
RM 2,793
+7.3%
Dec 25
RM 3,167
+4.0%
Public Sector Workforce · Federal + State + Statutory
JPA →Federal civil service
1.31M
1,305,976 personnel
State + local (PBT)
~220K
State enactments funded
Statutory bodies
~185K
Grant + self-generated
Civil servant : pop.
1 : 21.2
Fed + State + Statutory
Pension recipients
1.02M+
+6.8% YoY
Retirement charges
RM 42.8B
12.7% of OpEx
KWAP fund
RM 198.5B
Record returns
SSPA adjustment
+7–15%
Applied Jan 2026
Public Safety & Governance
Corruption Perception (TI 2025)
52/100
Rank 54 · improving
Overall crime index
+11.1%
2025/26 vs. prior year · PDRM
Property crime
+12.4%
~47,188 cases · T1 driven · PDRM
EPF adequacy target
RM 390K
Majority below target
Cyber / digital scam
High
Primary M40 risk
Govt effectiveness (WB)
0.88
Stable percentile
Service Ratios · National Avg vs. Tier Ground Reality
| Indicator | National avg | Tier 1 reality | Tier 2 reality | Tier 3 reality | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher : student | 1 : 12 National avg · MoE / UNESCO 2023 | 1 : 35–45 urban | 1 : 20–25 | 1 : 8–15 SKM* | T1 critical |
| Doctor : population | 1 : 412 National avg · MoH / WHO 2023 | 1 : 250 | 1 : 500 | 1 : 800–1,000+ | T3 critical |
| Nurse : population | 1 : 290 MoH avg | 1 : 200 | 1 : 350 | 1 : 600+ | Shortage |
| Hospital beds / 1,000 | 2.1 MoH avg | 2.8 | 2.0 | 1.2 | T3 gap |
| Police : civilian | 1 : 248 PDRM avg | 1 : 450 | 1 : 300 | 1 : 200 | T1 thin |
| Bomba : civilian | 1 : 2,280 BOMBA avg | 1 : 3,500+ | 1 : 2,000 | 1 : 1,500 | T1 strained |
| Civil servant : pop. (all tiers) | 1 : 21.2 JPA avg | 1 : 45 | 1 : 25 | 1 : 15 | Stable |
| Crime index / 100k | ~170 PDRM avg | 280–350 | 150–180 | 90–120 | T1 rising |
Population Vital Statistics · Births · Deaths · Median Age
OpenDOSM →Live Births (2023)
490,500
Crude birth rate: 14.5 per 1,000
Registered Deaths (2023)
181,600
Crude death rate: 5.4 per 1,000
Natural Growth Rate
+9.1‰
Births minus deaths per 1,000
Total Fertility Rate
1.6
Below replacement 2.1
Median Age (2024)
30.6 yrs
Ageing society threshold: 35
Life Expectancy (2023)
75.1 yrs
Male 72.8 · Female 77.6
Infant Mortality Rate
6.7
Per 1,000 live births · 2023
Maternal Mortality Ratio
24.5
Per 100,000 live births · 2023
Duit Rakyat 2026 — What the Government Collected and Spent
2025 Total Spend
RM 412.1B
Revised actual
2026 Budget
RM 419.2B
+RM 7.1B · +1.7%
2026 Revenue
RM 343.1B
+RM 9B from 2025
Deficit gap
RM 76.1B
3.5% of GDP — narrowing
Most underreported story in Budget 2026
RM 17 of every RM 100
the government earns goes purely to servicing past debt.
Debt service charge 2026
RM 58.3B
Up from RM 54.3B in 2025 · +RM 4B
ASNB Unit Trust Funds · Annual Income Distribution
ASNB →
ASNB (Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNB (Permodalan Nasional Berhad). Dividends and income distributions are announced annually and are tax-exempt for all unit holders. Fixed-price funds are priced at RM 1.00 per unit with no sales charge. Returns directly affect the Legacy index (level 5 — Baki) as these are Malaysia's primary long-term savings vehicles. Eligibility noted per ASNB/PNB official policy.
ASB series · Bumiputera eligibility · Fixed-price RM 1.00/unit
| Fund | Eligibility | FY end | Latest dividend | vs. 12-mo FD | Unitholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASB Amanah Saham Bumiputera |
Bumiputera · max RM 300,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | 5.75 sen/unit (div 5.20 + bonus 0.55) |
+3.57pp above FD | 11.4M unitholders · RM 10.4B payout |
| ASB 2 Amanah Saham Bumiputera 2 |
Bumiputera · max RM 300,000 | 31 Mar 2026 | 5.50 sen/unit | +3.32pp above FD | 680,141 unitholders · RM 0.82B |
| ASB 3 Didik Amanah Saham Bumiputera 3 — education-focused |
Bumiputera · children & students · max RM 200,000 | 30 Jun 2025 | 5.25 sen/unit | +2.74pp above FD | 338,320 unitholders · RM 423M |
ASM series · Open to ALL Malaysian citizens · Fixed-price RM 1.00/unit
| Fund | Eligibility | FY end | Latest dividend | vs. 12-mo FD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASM Amanah Saham Malaysia |
All Malaysian citizens · max RM 300,000 | 31 Mar 2026 | 5.00 sen/unit | +2.82pp above FD | High demand · unit availability limited |
| ASM 2 Wawasan Amanah Saham Malaysia 2 |
All Malaysian citizens · max RM 300,000 | 31 Aug | 4.75 sen/unit (FY ending Aug 2024) |
Above FD benchmark | Regular income focus · EPF-MIS eligible |
| ASM 3 Amanah Saham Malaysia 3 |
All Malaysian citizens · max RM 300,000 | 30 Sep | ~4.75 sen/unit (FY ending Sep 2024) |
Above FD benchmark | Capital preservation · EPF-MIS eligible |
Gold Price · Emas 916 & 999
Wealth preservation indicator · not a CPI basket component
Gold is Malaysia's most universal inflation hedge across all communities — tracked here as a savings & wealth preservation indicator, not as part of the MCOICOP consumption basket. Gold price directly reflects import cost pressure via USD/MYR and XAU/USD exchange rates. Rising gold demand also signals public distrust in purchasing power — a leading indicator for cost of living pressure.
Gold 916 (22k) · /gram
~RM 530
Public Gold · Habib · TOMEI · indicative
Gold 999.9 (24k) · /gram
~RM 578
Maybank Gold · Public Bank · CIMB
XAU/USD (spot)
~USD 4,530
International benchmark · auto-updated
XAU/MYR (effective)
~RM 17,975
Derived: spot × USD/MYR · /troy oz
Sources · Methodology · Legal Disclosure
Necessity pyramid index · Score methodology
Score = (market price + SST) ÷ state tier median hourly wage · 30-day avg · T1 −20% · T3 +15% vs. national baseline. Modelled estimate calibrated against DOSM HIES 2022 median household income by state tier.
Education affordability index · Score methodology
Score = 100 − ((Annual tuition ÷ Tier median household income) × 100) × tier adjustment · Calibrated to weighted average across government (60% of households), private national (25%), and international (15%) uptake by tier. Maps to MCOICOP Division 10 · HIES 2022 weight est. ~6% of household expenditure basket. Modelled estimate · DOSM HIES 2022.
Service ratios · Methodology & sources
How national averages are derived: Each ratio divides the total number of registered professionals or units by Malaysia's total population (DOSM 2025 estimate: 34.3 million). These are aggregate national averages — they mask wide geographic variation and do not represent any individual's access to services.
Doctor : population (1 : 412) — Total registered doctors (public + private) from MOH Malaysia Health Facts 2023 ÷ national population. MOH reports ~83,300 registered medical practitioners. Cross-referenced against WHO Global Health Observatory 2023 (2.4 doctors per 1,000). T1/T2/T3 tier breakdowns are modelled estimates from MOH state distribution data.
Teacher : student (1 : 12) — Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE) Quickfacts 2023/2024: total teachers in public schools ÷ total enrolled students. National average masks severe urban classroom overcrowding (T1 urban schools commonly 35–45 students per class) versus low-enrolment rural Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM). UNESCO Education Data 2023 cross-reference.
Nurse : population (1 : 290) — MOH Health Facts 2023 registered nurses ÷ population.
Hospital beds / 1,000 (2.1) — MOH Annual Report 2023: total beds ÷ (population ÷ 1,000).
Police : civilian (1 : 248) — PDRM annual strength report ÷ national population.
Bomba : civilian (1 : 2,280) — JBPM (Fire & Rescue) strength ÷ population.
Crime index / 100k (~170) — PDRM total crime cases ÷ (population ÷ 100,000). 2025/26 figure.
Tier reality breakdowns are modelled estimates based on state-level distribution data and are not directly published by any agency as tier-specific ratios. These figures should be treated as indicative ranges, not official benchmarks. Sources: MOH Malaysia · MoE Quickfacts · PDRM · JBPM · DOSM 2025 · WHO Global Health Observatory 2023 · UNESCO 2023.
Doctor : population (1 : 412) — Total registered doctors (public + private) from MOH Malaysia Health Facts 2023 ÷ national population. MOH reports ~83,300 registered medical practitioners. Cross-referenced against WHO Global Health Observatory 2023 (2.4 doctors per 1,000). T1/T2/T3 tier breakdowns are modelled estimates from MOH state distribution data.
Teacher : student (1 : 12) — Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE) Quickfacts 2023/2024: total teachers in public schools ÷ total enrolled students. National average masks severe urban classroom overcrowding (T1 urban schools commonly 35–45 students per class) versus low-enrolment rural Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM). UNESCO Education Data 2023 cross-reference.
Nurse : population (1 : 290) — MOH Health Facts 2023 registered nurses ÷ population.
Hospital beds / 1,000 (2.1) — MOH Annual Report 2023: total beds ÷ (population ÷ 1,000).
Police : civilian (1 : 248) — PDRM annual strength report ÷ national population.
Bomba : civilian (1 : 2,280) — JBPM (Fire & Rescue) strength ÷ population.
Crime index / 100k (~170) — PDRM total crime cases ÷ (population ÷ 100,000). 2025/26 figure.
Tier reality breakdowns are modelled estimates based on state-level distribution data and are not directly published by any agency as tier-specific ratios. These figures should be treated as indicative ranges, not official benchmarks. Sources: MOH Malaysia · MoE Quickfacts · PDRM · JBPM · DOSM 2025 · WHO Global Health Observatory 2023 · UNESCO 2023.
Belanjawan 2026 · Sources & notes
All figures in RM billion. 2025 figures are revised estimates. Some revenue sub-splits are derived. Sources: MoF Fiscal Outlook 2026 (Table 1.1 & 3.1) · KPMG MY Budget Snapshot 2026 · EY MY Take5 Budget 2026 · treasury.gov.my.
ASNB unit trust funds · Disclaimer
Eligibility per ASNB/PNB official policy. Dividends declared annually; FY end dates differ per fund. Distribution computed on average minimum monthly balance. Income tax-exempt. Units subject to availability. Rakyat Index displays ASNB funds as government-linked savings indicators only — not investment advice. Source: ASNB / PNB official announcements · ASNB.com.my · PNB press releases · BERNAMA · The Edge.
Rakyat Truflation Index (RSI) · Sources
The Rakyat Truflation Index is a composite cost-of-living pressure indicator modelled on the global Truflation methodology. It is computed entirely from live price data — fuel prices, food basket prices, currency strength, gold price trend, and monetary conditions — mapped to Malaysia's MCOICOP basket weighted by DOSM HIES 2022. Sources: MoF / data.gov.my (fuel prices, weekly APM) · KPDN PriceCatcher (food basket, daily 500+ items) · DOSM CPI Food Division (monthly anchor) · BNM Open API (USD/MYR daily) · BNM Kijang Emas (gold price) · BNM MPC (OPR, updated per decision cycle). Signal scale: 0–34 Under Pressure · 35–49 Stretched · 50–64 Stable · 65–100 Recovering. Five weighted signals: Fuel 25% · Food 30% · FX/Import Cost 20% · Gold 10% · Monetary 15%. Updated daily. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.
Education cost index · Sources & notes
School fees: EduSwasta · MoE SMIPS database · individual school websites · Yuran.my · UniEnrol 2026. Affordability score calibrated against DOSM HIES 2022 median household income by state tier. Maps to MCOICOP Division 10 · HIES weight est. ~6% of household expenditure basket. Fees are 2025/2026 academic year indicative ranges; subject to annual revision. 6% SST applies to international school fees > RM 60,000/student effective Sep 2025. Sources: MoHE · MQA · OpenDOSM.
Grocery basket · Sources & notes
Prices are national median averages aggregated from KPDN PriceCatcher field collection across 2,000+ premises daily. The 8 basket items map to MCOICOP Division 01 (Food) sub-items with highest purchase frequency. Week-on-week change is derived by comparing the latest 7-day median against the prior 7-day median per item. PriceCatcher transactional data is a parquet file not available via REST API — prices are server-side aggregated via the /api/data.php proxy. Static fallback prices are displayed if the backend is unavailable. Note: prices reflect national averages and will differ from prices at specific retailers or locations. Source: KPDN PriceCatcher via data.gov.my (CC BY 4.0).
Wage growth vs inflation · Sources & notes
Median formal employee wage data from DOSM Employee Wages Statistics (Formal Sector), released quarterly. Latest: Q4 2025 (Jan 2026 release) — median RM 3,167/mo, +4.0% YoY. Historical series: DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey 2024 (Sep 2025 release) — median RM 2,793. Real wage growth is computed as nominal wage growth minus headline CPI. Sector and state breakdowns from same DOSM publications. Source: DOSM · Employee Wages Statistics (Formal Sector) Q4 2025 · Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2024.
Household debt breakdown · Sources & notes
Total household debt RM 1.65T as of March 2025 (MoF parliamentary statement, Jul 2025). Debt composition percentages: Housing 59%, Vehicle 13%, Personal 13%, Credit card 3%, Other 12% — derived from MoF parliamentary reply (Oct 2024) citing Finance Ministry breakdown. Approximate RM amounts are derived by applying percentage to RM 1.65T total. NPL ratio 1.1% from BNM Governor statement (Aug 2025). Median DSR 34% from BNM. Consumer Credit Act 2025 context from Sarawak Tribune (Sep 2025). Sources: BNM · MoF parliamentary replies · BERNAMA · Malay Mail · BNM CCRIS dashboard.
Population vital statistics · Sources & notes
Birth & death data: DOSM Vital Statistics Malaysia 2023 · OpenDOSM · data.gov.my/births · data.gov.my/deaths. Median age projections: DOSM Population Projections 2020–2040. Infant mortality and maternal mortality: MOH Malaysia Health Facts 2023. Life expectancy: DOSM / World Bank WDI. TFR below replacement (2.1) since 2016. Data is annual; latest finalized year is 2023 as of April 2026.
Government data sources
OpenDOSM API · BNM Open API · MoF · KPDN PriceCatcher · KESUMA · KWSP · KWAP · KPKT · JPA/HRMIS · LLM · Transparency International · World Bank · FAO · ASNB Income Distribution · PNB press releases · BERNAMA
Private & market data sources
99 Speedmart · Lotus's · Jaya Grocer · Mydin · Grab Food · Madani Mart · PropertyGuru · iProperty · Speedhome · TNB ICPT · IWK · IHH Healthcare · KPJ Healthcare · Sunway Medical · Maybank · CIMB · PBB · RHB · HLB · AmBank · Alliance · OCBC · JobStreet · Hiredly · Unifi · Maxis · CelcomDigi · Time · PLUS · ANIH · JPP · SPBH · Linkedua · EDL · SDE · Touch 'n Go · MIROS
Fuel & EV charging · Notes & sources
Fuel valid: May 21–27, 2026 · MoF / data.gov.my/fuelprice · Setel (Petronas) · Next update: Wed May 28, 2026 ~5 PM.
APM: MoF announces every Wednesday. All brands (Petronas, Shell, BHP, Petron, Caltex) sell at identical mandated prices per grade.
BUDI95: MyKad driving licence holders: RM 1.99/L capped 200L/mo. Excess at RM 4.07/L market rate. SPCS commercial: RM 2.05/L. SKDS: RM 2.15/L.
Diesel: Peninsular fully market-priced at RM 4.97/L (B10/B20). Sabah/Sarawak/Labuan subsidised RM 2.15/L. B7 Euro 5 = RM 5.17/L Peninsular (+RM 0.20 vs B10/B20). Budi Diesel cash assistance RM 400/mo from Apr 21. All three grades increased this week — RON97 +RM 0.15 to RM 4.85 · RON95 market +RM 0.20 to RM 4.07 · Diesel +RM 0.10 to RM 4.97 — in line with APM formula (MoF, 20 May 2026).
EV sources: SoyaCincau · Gentari Go app · JomCharge · ChargeSini · TNB Electron · Motorist.my 2026. Standard per-kWh rates; promos, membership discounts and location variance apply.
Overstay: Gentari RM 1.00/min after charging completes (most sites). JomCharge varies by location.
EV operator rates (May 2026): Gentari AC 7kW RM 1.00/kWh · Gentari AC 11–22kW RM 1.15/kWh · Gentari DC urban RM 1.50/kWh · Gentari DC highway RM 1.70/kWh · Gentari DC BESS (Behrang/Senawang) RM 1.80/kWh · JomCharge AC RM 1.05–1.10/kWh · JomCharge DC RM 1.40–1.50/kWh · ChargeSini AC RM 1.09/kWh · ChargeSini DC RM 1.19–1.49/kWh · TNB Electron DC RM 1.35–1.80/kWh (highway R&R up to RM 1.80/kWh) · Home TNB residential tariff RM 0.218–0.571/kWh. Rates are standard published pricing; actual rates vary by location, membership tier and promotions. Verify on each operator's app before charging. Sources: SoyaCincau (17 Mar 2025, Dec 2025, May 2026) · TNB Electron official site · Motorist.my (Nov 2025).
APM: MoF announces every Wednesday. All brands (Petronas, Shell, BHP, Petron, Caltex) sell at identical mandated prices per grade.
BUDI95: MyKad driving licence holders: RM 1.99/L capped 200L/mo. Excess at RM 4.07/L market rate. SPCS commercial: RM 2.05/L. SKDS: RM 2.15/L.
Diesel: Peninsular fully market-priced at RM 4.97/L (B10/B20). Sabah/Sarawak/Labuan subsidised RM 2.15/L. B7 Euro 5 = RM 5.17/L Peninsular (+RM 0.20 vs B10/B20). Budi Diesel cash assistance RM 400/mo from Apr 21. All three grades increased this week — RON97 +RM 0.15 to RM 4.85 · RON95 market +RM 0.20 to RM 4.07 · Diesel +RM 0.10 to RM 4.97 — in line with APM formula (MoF, 20 May 2026).
EV sources: SoyaCincau · Gentari Go app · JomCharge · ChargeSini · TNB Electron · Motorist.my 2026. Standard per-kWh rates; promos, membership discounts and location variance apply.
Overstay: Gentari RM 1.00/min after charging completes (most sites). JomCharge varies by location.
EV operator rates (May 2026): Gentari AC 7kW RM 1.00/kWh · Gentari AC 11–22kW RM 1.15/kWh · Gentari DC urban RM 1.50/kWh · Gentari DC highway RM 1.70/kWh · Gentari DC BESS (Behrang/Senawang) RM 1.80/kWh · JomCharge AC RM 1.05–1.10/kWh · JomCharge DC RM 1.40–1.50/kWh · ChargeSini AC RM 1.09/kWh · ChargeSini DC RM 1.19–1.49/kWh · TNB Electron DC RM 1.35–1.80/kWh (highway R&R up to RM 1.80/kWh) · Home TNB residential tariff RM 0.218–0.571/kWh. Rates are standard published pricing; actual rates vary by location, membership tier and promotions. Verify on each operator's app before charging. Sources: SoyaCincau (17 Mar 2025, Dec 2025, May 2026) · TNB Electron official site · Motorist.my (Nov 2025).
Gold price · Sources & notes
Gold data sources: Public Gold · Habib Jewels · TOMEI · Poh Kong · Maybank Gold · Public Bank Gold · BNM FX rates for XAU/MYR derivation. Gold 916 and 999.9 prices are automatically derived from the live XAU/USD spot price and the BNM USD/MYR interbank rate, updated every 6 hours. Actual transaction prices (buy/sell spread) at dealers vary. Gold is displayed as a wealth preservation and cost pressure indicator only — it is not part of the MCOICOP consumption basket and does not feed into the cost of living index score. Not investment advice. Gold is not PIDM-insured.
Data refresh
FX (BNM) — 4-hourly · Retail prices — daily midnight · Bank rates — daily · Rental — weekly · Govt. macro — monthly on DOSM release
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