en.Wedoany.com Reported - Malaysia's building material prices showed divergence in June, with steel prices continuing to decline, cement prices remaining stable, but sand and crushed stone prices rising across the board, indicating that sand and gravel materials remain the main source of cost pressure in the construction industry.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia released the "Building Materials Cost Index Report for June 2026," showing that the unit price index for sand recorded month-on-month increases in all regions of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, ranging from 0.5% to 6.4%. Among them, Penang, Kedah, and Perlis saw the largest increase at 6.4%; Johor rose by 6.1%; and Kuching increased by 4.3%. The crushed stone price index also rose across the board, with month-on-month increases between 0.1% and 5.6%. Perak recorded the highest increase at 5.6%; Pahang and Johor rose by 3.7% and 3.5%, respectively.
In contrast, the steel price index continued to decline. Steel prices in all regions of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak fell by 0.1% to 1.2% month-on-month. Among them, Perak saw the largest decline at 1.2%; Sandakan fell by 0.8%; and Kota Kinabalu dropped by 0.7%. In terms of cement prices, the unit price index for each region remained unchanged month-on-month in June, with an overall stable trend. On a year-on-year basis, major building material prices continued to show an upward trend.
The steel price index rose by 0.5% to 8.6% year-on-year. Among them, Perak recorded the highest increase at 8.6%; Johor rose by 6%; and Pahang increased by 4.8%. The cement price index rose by 0.9% to 7.5% year-on-year. Kuching and Miri saw the largest increases, both at 7.5%; Pahang rose by 6.7%. Sand prices remained the most notable building material in terms of growth, with year-on-year increases ranging from 1.4% to 23.9%.
According to statistics department data, the average selling price of steel (including ordinary round bars and Mycon 60 high-strength deformed steel bars) in June was 3,507.10 ringgit per metric ton, down slightly by 0.3% from 3,517.50 ringgit per metric ton in May. The average selling price of Ordinary Portland Cement fell slightly by 0.9% from 25.95 ringgit per bag (50 kg) to 25.70 ringgit per bag.
In terms of regional performance, the Building Materials Cost Index (BCI, calculated based on steel bars) for various construction categories and regions in Peninsular Malaysia rose by 0.1% to 3.1% month-on-month in June. The BCI for all construction categories in Sabah fell slightly by 0.1% to 1.5% month-on-month. The BCI for all construction categories in Sarawak rose by 0.1% to 0.7% month-on-month.
