Mixed Movements In Building Material Prices In December 2025 - DOSM

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- Building material prices showed mixed movements on a year-on-year basis in December 2025, with cement recording increases across all regions, while steel continued to decline in most parts of the country, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).  

Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the comparison between December 2024 and December 2025 showed the unit price index of cement rose between 2.0 per cent and 6.1 per cent nationwide. 

“The highest increase was recorded in Pahang at 6.1 per cent, followed by Tawau at 5.4 per cent and Sandakan at 5.0 per cent,” he said in a statement today.

In contrast, the unit price index of steel declined between 3.2 per cent and 7.1 per cent year-on-year across most areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

The steepest decline was observed in Sibu at 7.1 per cent, followed by Penang, Kedah and Perlis at 6.8 per cent and Kota Kinabalu at 6.5 per cent.  

Mohd Uzir said on a month-on-month basis, cement prices increased between 1.2 per cent and 3.2 per cent in December 2025 compared with the previous month, with the highest increase recorded in Terengganu and Kelantan at 3.2 per cent. 

This was followed by Penang, Kedah and Perlis at 1.8 per cent and Pahang at 1.6 per cent. The unit price index of sand recorded a slight month-on-month increase ranging from 0.1 per cent to 4.8 per cent across all areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak during the month. 

Steel prices registered marginal monthly increases of between 0.1 per cent and 1.0 per cent, while steel and metal sections rose between 0.1 per cent and 1.1 per cent nationwide.  

Mohd Uzir said the average price of steel, comprising mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile deformed bars, edged up 0.1 per cent month-on-month to RM3,512.10 per tonne in December 2025 from RM3,509.60 per tonne in November 2025.  

The average price of Ordinary Portland cement also increased by 0.8 per cent to RM24.55 per 50-kilogramme bag compared with RM24.35 per bag in the previous month.  

For the Building Cost Index (BCI) of steel bars, a month-on-month increase of between 0.1 per cent and 2.0 per cent was recorded for all building categories in Peninsular Malaysia in December 2025. 

Sabah saw a smaller increase ranging from 0.1 per cent to 0.9 per cent, while in Sarawak, the BCI of steel bars declined slightly by between 0.1 per cent and 0.2 per cent for several building categories in Sibu, but Kuching and Miri recorded increases ranging from 0.1 per cent to 0.5 per cent. 

-- BERNAMA