Malaysia ranked 39/197 by economy size with a GDP of $422B and 81/197 by GDP per capita at $11,867. Malaysia has $297B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 70.1%.
In 2025, Malaysia made up 0.38% of the world's economy, compared to 0.14% in 1960.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1960 | $1,916,229,477 | $10,075,053,650 | - |
| 1961 | $1,901,856,123 | $10,840,555,622 | -0.75% |
| 1962 | $2,001,489,602 | $11,536,630,908 | 5.24% |
| 1963 | $2,510,110,348 | $12,383,281,584 | 25.4% |
| 1964 | $2,674,423,922 | $13,046,897,051 | 6.55% |
| 1965 | $2,956,337,669 | $14,049,533,277 | 10.5% |
| 1966 | $3,143,517,944 | $15,147,744,694 | 6.33% |
| 1967 | $3,188,924,677 | $15,732,015,397 | 1.44% |
| 1968 | $3,330,371,551 | $16,987,114,742 | 4.44% |
| 1969 | $3,664,552,041 | $17,817,535,563 | 10% |
| 1970 | $3,864,145,667 | $18,884,189,212 | 5.45% |
| 1971 | $4,244,395,956 | $20,779,153,503 | 9.84% |
| 1972 | $5,043,347,250 | $22,729,992,899 | 18.8% |
| 1973 | $7,662,902,678 | $25,389,647,919 | 51.9% |
| 1974 | $9,496,204,302 | $27,501,726,906 | 23.9% |
| 1975 | $9,298,800,799 | $27,722,034,465 | -2.08% |
| 1976 | $11,050,234,599 | $30,927,669,086 | 18.8% |
| 1977 | $13,139,488,633 | $33,325,509,326 | 18.9% |
| 1978 | $16,358,079,862 | $35,542,952,797 | 24.5% |
| 1979 | $21,213,264,962 | $38,865,898,972 | 29.7% |
| 1980 | $24,488,224,677 | $41,758,231,850 | 15.4% |
| 1981 | $25,004,285,792 | $44,657,131,817 | 2.11% |
| 1982 | $26,804,493,635 | $47,311,173,245 | 7.2% |
| 1983 | $30,347,442,111 | $50,269,176,995 | 13.2% |
| 1984 | $33,942,897,422 | $54,170,965,010 | 11.8% |
| 1985 | $31,199,633,353 | $53,615,577,054 | -8.08% |
| 1986 | $27,734,111,400 | $54,280,729,183 | -11.1% |
| 1987 | $32,181,210,158 | $57,098,947,793 | 16% |
| 1988 | $35,272,109,220 | $62,773,281,162 | 9.6% |
| 1989 | $38,847,965,293 | $68,460,289,887 | 10.1% |
| 1990 | $44,024,585,240 | $74,627,553,680 | 13.3% |
| 1991 | $49,143,148,094 | $81,751,102,498 | 11.6% |
| 1992 | $59,167,550,163 | $89,014,784,404 | 20.4% |
| 1993 | $66,894,966,969 | $97,822,746,879 | 13.1% |
| 1994 | $74,478,356,958 | $106,834,219,205 | 11.3% |
| 1995 | $88,705,342,903 | $117,335,045,631 | 19.1% |
| 1996 | $100,855,393,910 | $129,071,719,045 | 13.7% |
| 1997 | $100,005,323,302 | $138,523,307,833 | -0.84% |
| 1998 | $72,167,498,981 | $128,328,802,477 | -27.8% |
| 1999 | $79,148,421,053 | $136,205,126,471 | 9.67% |
| 2000 | $93,789,736,842 | $148,271,359,065 | 18.5% |
| 2001 | $92,783,947,368 | $149,038,923,296 | -1.07% |
| 2002 | $100,845,526,316 | $157,073,594,224 | 8.69% |
| 2003 | $110,202,368,421 | $166,165,798,104 | 9.28% |
| 2004 | $124,749,473,684 | $177,437,551,536 | 13.2% |
| 2005 | $143,534,405,819 | $186,898,768,709 | 15.1% |
| 2006 | $162,692,258,307 | $197,336,779,112 | 13.3% |
| 2007 | $193,549,569,478 | $209,766,600,384 | 19% |
| 2008 | $230,811,614,370 | $219,902,039,819 | 19.3% |
| 2009 | $202,257,453,037 | $216,573,759,299 | -12.4% |
| 2010 | $255,017,638,456 | $232,654,030,399 | 26.1% |
| 2011 | $297,951,668,675 | $244,970,531,974 | 16.8% |
| 2012 | $314,443,047,642 | $258,378,881,826 | 5.53% |
| 2013 | $323,276,235,524 | $270,506,469,604 | 2.81% |
| 2014 | $338,066,095,097 | $286,755,041,078 | 4.57% |
| 2015 | $301,355,266,965 | $301,355,266,965 | -10.9% |
| 2016 | $301,256,033,870 | $314,764,917,575 | -0.03% |
| 2017 | $319,109,094,160 | $333,061,328,477 | 5.93% |
| 2018 | $358,788,845,713 | $349,191,778,300 | 12.4% |
| 2019 | $365,177,721,022 | $364,602,265,936 | 1.78% |
| 2020 | $337,456,163,961 | $344,706,479,641 | -7.59% |
| 2021 | $373,784,823,673 | $356,134,704,342 | 10.8% |
| 2022 | $407,605,841,348 | $387,694,727,479 | 9.05% |
| 2023 | $399,705,137,434 | $401,479,163,711 | -1.94% |
| 2024 | $421,972,102,254 | $422,011,432,357 | 5.57% |
Economic Statistics of Malaysia
Malaysia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$422B
2024 |
39/197 |
| GDP growth |
5.57%
2023-2024 |
101/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$11,867
2024 |
81/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$38,729
2024 |
60/197 |
| Government debt |
$297B
2024 |
32/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
70.1%
2025 |
55/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$8,353
2024 |
63/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$9,650
2025 |
74/197 |
| Listed domestic companies |
1,031
2024 |
9/103 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$449B
2024 |
23/100 |
| Number of billionaires |
19
2025 |
24/78 |
| Billionaire frequency |
1 in 1,315,935
2025 |
36/78 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
30.9%
2021 |
50/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.3%
2021 |
116/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
23.1%
2025 |
137/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
1.83%
2023-2024 |
146/195 |
| Central bank interest rate |
2.75%
2025 |
88/105 |
| Unemployment rate |
3.93%
2022 |
128/196 |
| Population |
36304998
|
44/197 |
Malaysia's GDP per capita
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $11,867, ranking 81/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $38,729, ranking 60/197, and a median annual after tax income of $9,650, ranking 74/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1960 | $240.8 | - |
| 1961 | $232.9 | - |
| 1962 | $238.8 | - |
| 1963 | $291.8 | - |
| 1964 | $303 | - |
| 1965 | $326 | - |
| 1966 | $339 | - |
| 1967 | $335 | - |
| 1968 | $342 | - |
| 1969 | $368 | - |
| 1970 | $380 | - |
| 1971 | $407 | - |
| 1972 | $472 | - |
| 1973 | $701 | - |
| 1974 | $848 | - |
| 1975 | $811 | - |
| 1976 | $940 | - |
| 1977 | $1,092 | - |
| 1978 | $1,327 | - |
| 1979 | $1,680 | - |
| 1980 | $1,886 | - |
| 1981 | $1,866 | - |
| 1982 | $1,938 | - |
| 1983 | $2,124 | - |
| 1984 | $2,300 | - |
| 1985 | $2,046 | - |
| 1986 | $1,760 | - |
| 1987 | $1,977 | - |
| 1988 | $2,100 | - |
| 1989 | $2,244 | - |
| 1990 | $2,469 | $6,887 |
| 1991 | $2,679 | $7,583 |
| 1992 | $3,141 | $8,224 |
| 1993 | $3,462 | $9,018 |
| 1994 | $3,758 | $9,806 |
| 1995 | $4,363 | $10,720 |
| 1996 | $4,837 | $11,709 |
| 1997 | $4,679 | $12,469 |
| 1998 | $3,294 | $11,398 |
| 1999 | $3,528 | $11,980 |
| 2000 | $4,084 | $13,027 |
| 2001 | $3,944 | $13,072 |
| 2002 | $4,184 | $13,656 |
| 2003 | $4,465 | $14,387 |
| 2004 | $4,939 | $15,416 |
| 2005 | $5,556 | $16,371 |
| 2006 | $6,158 | $17,426 |
| 2007 | $7,169 | $18,617 |
| 2008 | $8,372 | $19,480 |
| 2009 | $7,191 | $18,923 |
| 2010 | $8,899 | $20,193 |
| 2011 | $10,217 | $21,324 |
| 2012 | $10,601 | $22,639 |
| 2013 | $10,714 | $23,161 |
| 2014 | $11,013 | $24,307 |
| 2015 | $9,649 | $24,526 |
| 2016 | $9,477 | $25,286 |
| 2017 | $9,863 | $26,416 |
| 2018 | $10,902 | $27,794 |
| 2019 | $10,920 | $28,934 |
| 2020 | $9,958 | $27,475 |
| 2021 | $10,903 | $29,823 |
| 2022 | $11,748 | $34,366 |
| 2023 | $11,379 | $36,417 |
| 2024 | $11,867 | $38,729 |
Malaysia's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Malaysia's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 36 years, Malaysia recorded a fiscal deficit in 28 years — average annual deficit equal to -2.1% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $101B (23.1% of GDP), with a deficit of -3.36%.
The national debt reached $297B, ranking 32nd out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 70.1%, ranking 55th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1990 | 30.5% | 74.1% | 0.15% |
| 1991 | 27.4% | 67.3% | 1.6% |
| 1992 | 28.2% | 59.1% | 1.81% |
| 1993 | 24.6% | 51.1% | 3.44% |
| 1994 | 23.3% | 43.7% | 5.45% |
| 1995 | 22.6% | 38.2% | 3.1% |
| 1996 | 22.4% | 32.8% | 3.27% |
| 1997 | 21.2% | 29.6% | 4.84% |
| 1998 | 23.1% | 33.6% | -0.63% |
| 1999 | 24.6% | 34.4% | -3% |
| 2000 | 25.6% | 32.5% | -6.05% |
| 2001 | 28.2% | 38.1% | -4.36% |
| 2002 | 27.1% | 39.5% | -3.96% |
| 2003 | 28.1% | 41.4% | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 25.9% | 42% | -3.35% |
| 2005 | 24.5% | 40.8% | -2.83% |
| 2006 | 25.6% | 39.7% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 25.9% | 39.3% | -2.57% |
| 2008 | 26.9% | 39.4% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 30.9% | 50.4% | -5.88% |
| 2010 | 26.6% | 51.2% | -4.32% |
| 2011 | 27.1% | 51.9% | -3.57% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | 53.8% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 27.8% | 55.7% | -3.48% |
| 2014 | 26% | 55.4% | -2.63% |
| 2015 | 24.7% | 57% | -2.55% |
| 2016 | 22.9% | 55.8% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 22% | 54.4% | -2.41% |
| 2018 | 22.8% | 55.6% | -2.64% |
| 2019 | 23.6% | 57.1% | -2.01% |
| 2020 | 25% | 67.7% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 24.5% | 69.2% | -6.03% |
| 2022 | 24.7% | 65.5% | -4.56% |
| 2023 | 24.9% | 69.7% | -3.97% |
| 2024 | 23.9% | 70.4% | -3.95% |
| 2025 | 23.1% | 70.1% | -3.36% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Malaysia has had an average annual inflation rate of 2.25%. In 2024, inflation was 1.83%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.06% |
| 1961 | -0.18% |
| 1962 | 0.11% |
| 1963 | 3.11% |
| 1964 | -0.4% |
| 1965 | -0.11% |
| 1966 | 0.97% |
| 1967 | 4.58% |
| 1968 | -0.16% |
| 1969 | -0.41% |
| 1970 | 1.84% |
| 1971 | 1.61% |
| 1972 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | 10.6% |
| 1974 | 17.3% |
| 1975 | 4.49% |
| 1976 | 2.63% |
| 1977 | 4.79% |
| 1978 | 4.86% |
| 1979 | 3.65% |
| 1980 | 6.67% |
| 1981 | 9.7% |
| 1982 | 5.82% |
| 1983 | 3.7% |
| 1984 | 3.9% |
| 1985 | 0.35% |
| 1986 | 0.74% |
| 1987 | 0.29% |
| 1988 | 2.56% |
| 1989 | 2.81% |
| 1990 | 2.62% |
| 1991 | 4.36% |
| 1992 | 4.77% |
| 1993 | 3.54% |
| 1994 | 3.72% |
| 1995 | 3.45% |
| 1996 | 3.49% |
| 1997 | 2.66% |
| 1998 | 5.27% |
| 1999 | 2.74% |
| 2000 | 1.53% |
| 2001 | 1.42% |
| 2002 | 1.81% |
| 2003 | 1.09% |
| 2004 | 1.42% |
| 2005 | 2.98% |
| 2006 | 3.61% |
| 2007 | 2.03% |
| 2008 | 5.44% |
| 2009 | 0.58% |
| 2010 | 1.62% |
| 2011 | 3.17% |
| 2012 | 1.66% |
| 2013 | 2.11% |
| 2014 | 3.14% |
| 2015 | 2.1% |
| 2016 | 2.09% |
| 2017 | 3.87% |
| 2018 | 0.88% |
| 2019 | 0.66% |
| 2020 | -1.14% |
| 2021 | 2.48% |
| 2022 | 3.38% |
| 2023 | 2.49% |
| 2024 | 1.83% |
Balance of trade
|
Malaysia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$7.15B
2024 |
25/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+1.69%
2024 |
61/189 |
| Goods imports |
$223B
2024 |
25/188 |
| Goods exports |
$248B
2024 |
27/188 |
| Service imports |
$56.4B
2024 |
30/188 |
| Service exports |
$53.4B
2024 |
31/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
66%
2024 |
42/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
71.4%
2024 |
27/193 |
Malaysia's top 10 trading partners
Malaysia's biggest trading partner accounting for 17.4%% of all exports and imports is China, with a trade balance between the two of -$26.4B — Malaysia exports $42.3B worth of goods and services to China and imports $68.7B.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Malaysia.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
China
|
$111B | 17.4% | $42.3B | $68.7B | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 2 |
Singapore
|
$101B | 15.8% | $58.4B | $42.3B | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 3 |
United States
|
$92.4B | 14.5% | $51.9B | $40.5B | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 4 |
Japan
|
$36.3B | 5.67% | $19B | $17.3B | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 5 |
Indonesia
|
$28.1B | 4.4% | $13.5B | $14.7B | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 6 |
Thailand
|
$27.7B | 4.33% | $13.7B | $14B | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
South Korea
|
$25.7B | 4.03% | $12.3B | $13.4B | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 8 |
India
|
$20.1B | 3.14% | $12.3B | $7.8B | Machinery & equipment | Raw materials & minerals |
| 9 |
Australia
|
$19.9B | 3.12% | $11.8B | $8.18B | Raw materials & minerals | Raw materials & minerals |
| 10 |
Vietnam
|
$19.1B | 3% | $12.2B | $6.89B | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
Malaysia's top 10 exports
|
Malaysia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery & equipment | $173B | 13/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $59.7B | 21/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $28.3B | 13/192 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $24.5B | 25/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $22.3B | 29/188 |
| Metals | $20.7B | 22/192 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $10.3B | 28/193 |
| Business & finance services | $8.31B | 35/188 |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $6.5B | 15/164 |
| Wood & paper products | $5.3B | 24/192 |
Malaysia's top 10 imports
|
Malaysia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery & equipment | $144B | 18/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $61.6B | 15/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $25.4B | 29/188 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $24.6B | 31/193 |
| Metals | $22B | 19/193 |
| Business & finance services | $13.8B | 32/188 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $13.4B | 17/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $10.1B | 34/193 |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $7.32B | 20/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $7.23B | 25/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Malaysia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 67.1 | 50/197 |
| Property rights | 66.3 | 59/182 |
| Government integrity | 51.1 | 59/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 66.2 | 59/182 |
| Tax burden | 83.9 | 65/181 |
| Government spending | 82.1 | 56/180 |
| Fiscal health | 48.1 | 127/181 |
| Business freedom | 76.6 | 47/182 |
| Labor freedom | 58.1 | 78/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 79.6 | 11/180 |
| Trade freedom | 83.4 | 15/181 |
| Investment freedom | 60 | 76/181 |
| Financial freedom | 50 | 89/181 |
Malaysia's economic freedom by year
Malaysia is ranked 44/180 for economic freedom with a score of 67.1, compared to 62/163 and a score of 61.9 in 2005.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 1995 | 71.9 | - | 74.1 | 78.3 | - |
| 1996 | 69.9 | - | 76.7 | 82.7 | - |
| 1997 | 66.8 | - | 76.6 | 83.6 | - |
| 1998 | 68.2 | - | 76.8 | 85.3 | - |
| 1999 | 68.9 | - | 79.4 | 84.7 | - |
| 2000 | 66 | - | 79.2 | 81.3 | - |
| 2001 | 60.2 | - | 80.6 | 85.5 | - |
| 2002 | 60.1 | - | 81.5 | 84.1 | - |
| 2003 | 61.1 | - | 81.8 | 82.9 | - |
| 2004 | 59.9 | - | 80.9 | 74.2 | - |
| 2005 | 61.9 | - | 80.9 | 75.3 | - |
| 2006 | 61.6 | - | 81.2 | 75.1 | - |
| 2007 | 63.8 | - | 81.8 | 78.9 | - |
| 2008 | 63.9 | - | 82.2 | 80.8 | - |
| 2009 | 64.6 | - | 83 | 81.4 | - |
| 2010 | 64.8 | - | 84.3 | 81.3 | - |
| 2011 | 66.3 | - | 84.6 | 79.2 | - |
| 2012 | 66.4 | - | 84.5 | 72.5 | - |
| 2013 | 66.1 | - | 85.1 | 73.5 | - |
| 2014 | 69.6 | - | 84.6 | 75.6 | - |
| 2015 | 70.8 | - | 84.4 | 74 | - |
| 2016 | 71.5 | - | 85 | 74.3 | - |
| 2017 | 73.8 | 67.3 | 85.3 | 78.7 | 76.5 |
| 2018 | 74.5 | 65.2 | 85.6 | 81.3 | 80.7 |
| 2019 | 74 | 68.2 | 85.6 | 83.2 | 82.4 |
| 2020 | 74.7 | 74.6 | 85.7 | 84.6 | 80.2 |
| 2021 | 74.4 | 70.5 | 83.8 | 84.3 | 79.4 |
| 2022 | 68.1 | 57.6 | 83.8 | 82.9 | 73.4 |
| 2023 | 67.3 | 51.6 | 83.9 | 82.4 | 64.5 |
| 2024 | 65.7 | 65.6 | 83.9 | 81.4 | 42.8 |
| 2025 | 67.1 | 66.2 | 83.9 | 82.1 | 48.1 |
More economic indicators
|
Malaysia
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
53.6%
2024 |
114/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
37.1%
2024 |
31/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
8.16%
2024 |
83/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$415B
2024 |
38/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$37,500
2024 |
56/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$116B
2024 |
24/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$2.55B
2024 |
147/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$15.6B
2024 |
25/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$13B
2024 |
24/187 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
5.8%
2023 |
165/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
21.9%
2024 |
104/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Malaysia topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.