skyline at night in Malaysia

Malaysia Economic Data & Projections

Malaysia's Macroeconomic Analysis:

Nominal GDP of USD 407 billion in 2022.

Nominal GDP of USD 400 billion in 2023.

GDP per capita of USD 12,090 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.

GDP per capita of USD 12,466 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.

Average real GDP growth of 4.3% over the last decade.

Average real GDP growth of 4.1% over the last decade.

Share of the region's population
Share of the region's GDP

Sector Analysis

In 2021, services accounted for 53% of overall GDP, manufacturing 23%, other industrial activity 14%, and agriculture 10%. Looking at GDP by expenditure, private consumption accounted for 58% of GDP in 2021, government consumption 13%, fixed investment 22%, and net exports 7%.

GDP by economic sector
GDP by type of expenditure

International trade

In 2021, manufactured products made up 70% of total merchandise exports, mineral fuels 12%, food 11%, ores and metals 5% and agricultural raw materials 1%, with other categories accounting for 1% of the total. In the same period, manufactured products made up 67% of total merchandise imports, mineral fuels 13%, food 9%, ores and metals 6% and agricultural raw materials 2%, with other goods accounting for 3% of the total. Total exports were worth USD 352 billion in 2022, while total imports were USD 294 billion.

Key exports
Key imports
Key export partners
Key import partners

Main Economic Indicators

Economic growth

The economy recorded average annual growth of 4.3% in the decade to 2022. To read more about GDP growth in Malaysia, go to our dedicated page.

Fiscal policy

Malaysia's fiscal deficit averaged 4.2% of GDP in the decade to 2022. Find out more on our dedicated page.

Unemployment

The unemployment rate averaged 3.5% in the decade to 2022. For more information on Malaysia's unemployment click here.

Inflation

Inflation averaged 1.9% in the decade to 2022. Go to our Malaysia inflation page for extra insight.

Monetary Policy

Malaysia's monetary policy rate ended 2022 at 2.75%, down from 3.00% a decade earlier. See our Malaysia monetary policy page for additional details.

Exchange Rate

From end-2012 to end-2022 the ringgit weakened by 29.5% vs the U.S. dollar. For more info on the ringgit, click here.

Economic situation in Malaysia

A second release confirmed the economy lost steam on an annual basis in Q3, as decelerating private spending and weaker net exports outweighed stronger expansions in public consumption and fixed investment. In Q4, our panel sees GDP growth ticking up from Q3. Nevertheless, available data is mixed. In October, goods exports growth was broadly stable from Q3, pointing to strong external demand. That said, in the same month, inflation and interest rates remained elevated, likely keeping a lid on domestic demand. Additionally, conditions in the manufacturing sector remained downbeat through November. Moreover, heavy monsoon rains in late November and early December triggered floods that caused mass displacement, infrastructure damage and the destruction of thousands of acres of rice crops.

Malaysia Economic Forecasts

Projections out to 2034.

52 indicators covered including both annual and quarterly frequencies.

Consensus Forecasts based on a panel of 35 expert analysts.

Want to get insight on the economic outlook for Malaysia in the coming years? FocusEconomics collects projections out to 2034 on 52 economic indicators for Malaysia from a panel of 35 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts, and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. This means you avoid the risk of relying on out of date, biased or outlier forecasts. Our Consensus Forecasts can be visualized in whichever way best suits your needs, including via interactive online dashboards , direct data delivery and executive-style reports which combine analysts' projections with timely written analysis from our in-house team of economists on the latest developments in the Malaysia economy. To download a sample report on the Malaysia's economy, click here. To get in touch with our team for more information, fill in the form at the bottom of this page.

Malaysia Economic Indicators

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Population (million) 32.5 32.4 32.6 32.7 33.1
GDP (USD bn) 365 338 374 408 400
GDP per capita (USD) 11,227 10,405 11,470 12,484 12,090
GDP (MYR bn) 1,513 1,418 1,549 1,794 1,823
Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) 4.5 -6.2 9.2 15.8 1.6
Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) 4.4 -5.5 3.3 8.9 3.6
Domestic Demand (ann. var. %) 3.9 -4.8 3.8 9.5 4.7
Private Consumption (ann. var. %) 7.7 -3.9 1.8 11.3 4.7
Government Consumption (ann. var. %) 1.5 4.1 5.8 5.1 3.3
Fixed Investment (ann. var. %) -2.1 -14.4 -0.7 6.8 5.5
Exports (G&S, ann. var. %) -1.0 -8.6 18.5 14.5 -8.1
Imports (G&S, ann. var. %) -2.4 -7.9 21.2 16.0 -7.4
Industrial Production (ann. var. %) 2.4 -4.1 7.4 6.9 0.7
Retail Sales (ann. var. %) 7.0 -2.0 3.5 22.7 5.0
Unemployment (% of active population, aop) 3.3 4.5 4.6 3.8 3.4
Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) -3.4 -6.2 -6.4 -5.6 -5.1
Public Debt (% of GDP) 52.4 62.0 63.3 60.2 64.3
Money (ann. var. of M2 %) 3.5 4.5 6.3 4.3 5.9
Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, eop) 1.0 -1.4 3.2 3.8 1.5
Inflation (CPI, ann. var. %, aop) 0.7 -1.1 2.5 3.4 2.5
Inflation (PPI, ann. var. %, aop) -1.4 -2.7 9.5 7.7 -1.9
Overnight Policy Rate (%, eop) 3.00 1.75 1.75 2.75 3.00
3-Month KLIBOR (%, eop) 3.35 1.94 2.05 3.68 3.77
10-Year Bond Yield (%, eop) 3.31 2.65 3.58 4.09 3.73
Stock Market (ann. var. of FTSE BM KLCI %) -6.0 2.4 -3.7 -4.6 -2.7
Exchange Rate (MYR per USD, eop) 4.09 4.02 4.17 4.41 4.60
Exchange Rate (MYR per USD, aop) 4.14 4.20 4.14 4.40 4.56
Current Account Balance (USD bn) 12.8 14.1 14.5 13.0 6.2
Current Account Balance (% of GDP) 3.5 4.2 3.9 3.2 1.5
Merchandise Trade Balance (USD bn) 35.2 43.6 61.2 58.2 47.2
Merchandise Exports (USD bn) 240.2 234.1 299.4 352.2 312.7
Merchandise Imports (USD bn) 205.0 190.5 238.2 294.0 265.5
Merchandise Exports (ann. var. %) -3.4 -2.5 27.9 17.6 -11.2
Merchandise Imports (ann. var. %) -6.0 -7.1 25.0 23.4 -9.7
Foreign Direct Investment (USD bn) 7.8 3.2 12.2 16.9 8.7
International Reserves (USD bn) 104 108 117 115 113
International Reserves (months of imports) 6.1 6.8 5.9 4.7 5.1
External Debt (USD bn) 229 228 261 260 272
External Debt (% of GDP) 62.6 67.6 69.8 63.8 68.2
Free Sample Report

Interested in Malaysia economic reports, analysis and data? FocusEconomics provides data, forecasts and analysis for hundreds of countries and commodities. Request your free sample report now.

Close Left Media Arrows Left Media Circles Right Media Arrows Right Media Circles Arrow Quote Wave Address Email Telephone Man in front of screen with line chart Document with bar chart and magnifying glass Application window with bar chart Target with arrow Line Chart Stopwatch Globe with arrows Document with bar chart in front of screen Bar chart with magnifying glass and dollar sign Lightbulb Document with bookmark Laptop with download icon Calendar Icon Nav Menu Arrow Arrow Right Long Icon Arrow Right Icon Chevron Right Icon Chevron Left Icon Briefcase Icon Linkedin In Icon Full Linkedin Icon Filter Facebook Linkedin Twitter Pinterest X Download Fullscreen