Malaysia has a GDP of $422B compared to $160M for Nauru, ranking 39/197 and 195/197 by economy size, respectively.
Malaysia has $297B in government debt (70.1% of GDP), compared to $28.2M (15.2% of GDP) in Nauru.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1960 | $1,916,229,477 | $10,075,053,650 | - | - |
| 1961 | $1,901,856,123 | $10,840,555,622 | - | - |
| 1962 | $2,001,489,602 | $11,536,630,908 | - | - |
| 1963 | $2,510,110,348 | $12,383,281,584 | - | - |
| 1964 | $2,674,423,922 | $13,046,897,051 | - | - |
| 1965 | $2,956,337,669 | $14,049,533,277 | - | - |
| 1966 | $3,143,517,944 | $15,147,744,694 | - | - |
| 1967 | $3,188,924,677 | $15,732,015,397 | - | - |
| 1968 | $3,330,371,551 | $16,987,114,742 | - | - |
| 1969 | $3,664,552,041 | $17,817,535,563 | - | - |
| 1970 | $3,864,145,667 | $18,884,189,212 | $17,570,366 | $265,597,277 |
| 1971 | $4,244,395,956 | $20,779,153,503 | $19,009,433 | $273,295,314 |
| 1972 | $5,043,347,250 | $22,729,992,899 | $21,734,269 | $281,216,471 |
| 1973 | $7,662,902,678 | $25,389,647,919 | $26,529,817 | $289,367,215 |
| 1974 | $9,496,204,302 | $27,501,726,906 | $35,994,511 | $297,754,198 |
| 1975 | $9,298,800,799 | $27,722,034,465 | $40,106,776 | $306,384,268 |
| 1976 | $11,050,234,599 | $30,927,669,086 | $40,287,427 | $297,754,198 |
| 1977 | $13,139,488,633 | $33,325,509,326 | $40,444,702 | $289,367,215 |
| 1978 | $16,358,079,862 | $35,542,952,797 | $41,754,147 | $281,216,471 |
| 1979 | $21,213,264,962 | $38,865,898,972 | $44,431,330 | $273,295,314 |
| 1980 | $24,488,224,677 | $41,758,231,850 | $46,947,124 | $265,597,277 |
| 1981 | $25,004,285,792 | $44,657,131,817 | $51,689,637 | $258,116,073 |
| 1982 | $26,804,493,635 | $47,311,173,245 | $52,877,742 | $250,845,596 |
| 1983 | $30,347,442,111 | $50,269,176,995 | $48,439,093 | $243,779,910 |
| 1984 | $33,942,897,422 | $54,170,965,010 | $47,363,231 | $236,913,245 |
| 1985 | $31,199,633,353 | $53,615,577,054 | $41,548,741 | $230,239,999 |
| 1986 | $27,734,111,400 | $54,280,729,183 | $39,939,391 | $223,754,720 |
| 1987 | $32,181,210,158 | $57,098,947,793 | $40,118,410 | $217,452,114 |
| 1988 | $35,272,109,220 | $62,773,281,162 | $45,931,134 | $211,327,039 |
| 1989 | $38,847,965,293 | $68,460,289,887 | $53,736,786 | $205,374,490 |
| 1990 | $44,024,585,240 | $74,627,553,680 | $55,572,376 | $199,589,610 |
| 1991 | $49,143,148,094 | $81,751,102,498 | $52,533,789 | $161,680,011 |
| 1992 | $59,167,550,163 | $89,014,784,404 | $51,133,123 | $135,390,360 |
| 1993 | $66,894,966,969 | $97,822,746,879 | $43,542,088 | $113,568,991 |
| 1994 | $74,478,356,958 | $106,834,219,205 | $39,742,511 | $109,178,266 |
| 1995 | $88,705,342,903 | $117,335,045,631 | $39,969,706 | $100,527,536 |
| 1996 | $100,855,393,910 | $129,071,719,045 | $37,458,801 | $88,605,472 |
| 1997 | $100,005,323,302 | $138,523,307,833 | $37,331,507 | $80,672,081 |
| 1998 | $72,167,498,981 | $128,328,802,477 | $29,664,451 | $71,162,476 |
| 1999 | $79,148,421,053 | $136,205,126,471 | $27,328,613 | $66,488,375 |
| 2000 | $93,789,736,842 | $148,271,359,065 | $26,930,980 | $61,929,804 |
| 2001 | $92,783,947,368 | $149,038,923,296 | $22,613,288 | $57,742,675 |
| 2002 | $100,845,526,316 | $157,073,594,224 | $21,017,424 | $51,984,931 |
| 2003 | $110,202,368,421 | $166,165,798,104 | $24,778,160 | $52,132,910 |
| 2004 | $124,749,473,684 | $177,437,551,536 | $30,587,566 | $49,883,465 |
| 2005 | $143,534,405,819 | $186,898,768,709 | $30,282,840 | $49,706,055 |
| 2006 | $162,692,258,307 | $197,336,779,112 | $29,183,627 | $53,845,954 |
| 2007 | $193,549,569,478 | $209,766,600,384 | $23,068,623 | $41,900,065 |
| 2008 | $230,811,614,370 | $219,902,039,819 | $37,184,925 | $50,439,678 |
| 2009 | $202,257,453,037 | $216,573,759,299 | $44,024,970 | $47,588,861 |
| 2010 | $255,017,638,456 | $232,654,030,399 | $47,442,299 | $47,512,730 |
| 2011 | $297,951,668,675 | $244,970,531,974 | $65,444,174 | $54,352,013 |
| 2012 | $314,443,047,642 | $258,378,881,826 | $100,794,925 | $68,091,833 |
| 2013 | $323,276,235,524 | $270,506,469,604 | $94,385,015 | $70,575,646 |
| 2014 | $338,066,095,097 | $286,755,041,078 | $98,752,257 | $82,166,522 |
| 2015 | $301,355,266,965 | $301,355,266,965 | $84,383,389 | $84,383,389 |
| 2016 | $301,256,033,870 | $314,764,917,575 | $97,276,023 | $88,065,239 |
| 2017 | $319,109,094,160 | $333,061,328,477 | $108,862,279 | $82,771,435 |
| 2018 | $358,788,845,713 | $349,191,778,300 | $130,937,590 | $81,762,350 |
| 2019 | $365,177,721,022 | $364,602,265,936 | $124,871,111 | $88,701,305 |
| 2020 | $337,456,163,961 | $344,706,479,641 | $124,530,027 | $90,459,205 |
| 2021 | $373,784,823,673 | $356,134,704,342 | $175,513,985 | $96,978,233 |
| 2022 | $407,605,841,348 | $387,694,727,479 | $152,190,819 | $99,840,564 |
| 2023 | $399,705,137,434 | $401,479,163,711 | $151,455,968 | $100,485,943 |
| 2024 | $421,972,102,254 | $422,011,432,357 | $160,350,640 | $102,254,749 |
Economic indicators
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$422B
2024 |
$160M
2024 |
| GDP rank |
39/197
2024 |
195/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
5.57%
2023-2024 |
5.87%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$11,867
2024 |
$13,422
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
81/197
2024 |
75/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$38,729
2024 |
$14,327
2024 |
| Government debt |
$297B
2024 |
$28.2M
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
70.1%
2025 |
15.2%
2025 |
| Government debt per person |
$8,353
2024 |
$2,360
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
63/185
2024 |
114/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$9,650
2025 |
$8,196
2025 |
| Market capitalization of domestic companies |
$449B
2024 |
n/a |
| Number of billionaires |
19
2025 |
n/a |
| Income share by richest 10% |
30.9%
2021 |
25.3%
2012 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.3%
2021 |
3.4%
2012 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
23.1%
2025 |
135%
2025 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
1.83%
2023-2024 |
6.1%
2024-2025 |
| Central bank interest rate |
2.75%
2025 |
n/a |
| Unemployment rate |
3.93%
2022 |
5.06%
2021 |
| Population |
36304998
|
12088
|
GDP per capita in Malaysia vs Nauru
Malaysia's GDP per capita is $11,867, ranking 81/197, compared to $13,422 in Nauru, ranking 75/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Malaysia ranks 60th at $38,729, while Nauru ranks 118th at $14,327.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | 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 | - | $2,619 | - |
| 1971 | $407 | - | $2,811 | - |
| 1972 | $472 | - | $3,191 | - |
| 1973 | $701 | - | $3,864 | - |
| 1974 | $848 | - | $5,199 | - |
| 1975 | $811 | - | $5,740 | - |
| 1976 | $940 | - | $5,703 | - |
| 1977 | $1,092 | - | $5,646 | - |
| 1978 | $1,327 | - | $5,721 | - |
| 1979 | $1,680 | - | $5,950 | - |
| 1980 | $1,886 | - | $6,138 | - |
| 1981 | $1,866 | - | $6,594 | - |
| 1982 | $1,938 | - | $6,577 | - |
| 1983 | $2,124 | - | $5,896 | - |
| 1984 | $2,300 | - | $5,654 | - |
| 1985 | $2,046 | - | $4,859 | - |
| 1986 | $1,760 | - | $4,569 | - |
| 1987 | $1,977 | - | $4,485 | - |
| 1988 | $2,100 | - | $5,012 | - |
| 1989 | $2,244 | - | $5,723 | - |
| 1990 | $2,469 | $6,887 | $5,776 | $16,443 |
| 1991 | $2,679 | $7,583 | $5,333 | $13,451 |
| 1992 | $3,141 | $8,224 | $5,103 | $11,324 |
| 1993 | $3,462 | $9,018 | $4,310 | $9,646 |
| 1994 | $3,758 | $9,806 | $3,921 | $9,439 |
| 1995 | $4,363 | $10,720 | $3,932 | $8,849 |
| 1996 | $4,837 | $11,709 | $3,679 | $7,928 |
| 1997 | $4,679 | $12,469 | $3,661 | $7,332 |
| 1998 | $3,294 | $11,398 | $2,909 | $6,540 |
| 1999 | $3,528 | $11,980 | $2,683 | $6,204 |
| 2000 | $4,084 | $13,027 | $2,649 | $5,920 |
| 2001 | $3,944 | $13,072 | $2,232 | $5,666 |
| 2002 | $4,184 | $13,656 | $2,085 | $5,205 |
| 2003 | $4,465 | $14,387 | $2,463 | $5,335 |
| 2004 | $4,939 | $15,416 | $3,041 | $5,241 |
| 2005 | $5,556 | $16,371 | $3,014 | $5,392 |
| 2006 | $6,158 | $17,426 | $2,908 | $6,030 |
| 2007 | $7,169 | $18,617 | $2,302 | $4,826 |
| 2008 | $8,372 | $19,480 | $3,715 | $5,928 |
| 2009 | $7,191 | $18,923 | $4,395 | $5,624 |
| 2010 | $8,899 | $20,193 | $4,724 | $5,668 |
| 2011 | $10,217 | $21,324 | $6,481 | $6,582 |
| 2012 | $10,601 | $22,639 | $9,817 | $8,261 |
| 2013 | $10,714 | $23,161 | $8,975 | $8,501 |
| 2014 | $11,013 | $24,307 | $9,193 | $9,858 |
| 2015 | $9,649 | $24,526 | $7,703 | $10,020 |
| 2016 | $9,477 | $25,286 | $8,724 | $10,371 |
| 2017 | $9,863 | $26,416 | $9,613 | $9,770 |
| 2018 | $10,902 | $27,794 | $11,409 | $9,740 |
| 2019 | $10,920 | $28,934 | $10,777 | $10,640 |
| 2020 | $9,958 | $27,475 | $10,696 | $10,942 |
| 2021 | $10,903 | $29,823 | $14,990 | $12,197 |
| 2022 | $11,748 | $34,366 | $12,896 | $13,347 |
| 2023 | $11,379 | $36,417 | $12,754 | $13,830 |
| 2024 | $11,867 | $38,729 | $13,422 | $14,327 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Malaysia's government spending was $101B, accounting for 23.1% of its GDP, while Nauru's spent $198M, or 135% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 70.1% in Malaysia and 15.2% in Nauru, ranking 55/185 and 177/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1990 | 30.5% | 74.1% | - | - |
| 1991 | 27.4% | 67.3% | - | - |
| 1992 | 28.2% | 59.1% | - | - |
| 1993 | 24.6% | 51.1% | - | - |
| 1994 | 23.3% | 43.7% | - | - |
| 1995 | 22.6% | 38.2% | - | - |
| 1996 | 22.4% | 32.8% | - | - |
| 1997 | 21.2% | 29.6% | - | - |
| 1998 | 23.1% | 33.6% | - | - |
| 1999 | 24.6% | 34.4% | - | - |
| 2000 | 25.6% | 32.5% | - | - |
| 2001 | 28.2% | 38.1% | - | - |
| 2002 | 27.1% | 39.5% | - | - |
| 2003 | 28.1% | 41.4% | - | - |
| 2004 | 25.9% | 42% | - | - |
| 2005 | 24.5% | 40.8% | - | - |
| 2006 | 25.6% | 39.7% | - | - |
| 2007 | 25.9% | 39.3% | - | - |
| 2008 | 26.9% | 39.4% | - | - |
| 2009 | 30.9% | 50.4% | 68% | 246.7% |
| 2010 | 26.6% | 51.2% | 73.8% | 242.5% |
| 2011 | 27.1% | 51.9% | 44.7% | 188.9% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | 53.8% | 46% | 123.1% |
| 2013 | 27.8% | 55.7% | 66% | 126.9% |
| 2014 | 26% | 55.4% | 61.3% | 112.5% |
| 2015 | 24.7% | 57% | 85.4% | 82.2% |
| 2016 | 22.9% | 55.8% | 96% | 61.2% |
| 2017 | 22% | 54.4% | 102.3% | 78% |
| 2018 | 22.8% | 55.6% | 90.8% | 71.1% |
| 2019 | 23.6% | 57.1% | 106% | 59.6% |
| 2020 | 25% | 67.7% | 109.4% | 56.3% |
| 2021 | 24.5% | 69.2% | 93% | 20.5% |
| 2022 | 24.7% | 65.5% | 134.8% | 22.4% |
| 2023 | 24.9% | 69.7% | 118.1% | 20.5% |
| 2024 | 23.9% | 70.4% | 123.5% | 17.6% |
| 2025 | 23.1% | 70.1% | 135% | 15.2% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Malaysia's government deficit, the difference between spending and revenue, was -$16.7B, equivalent to -3.95% of GDP. This compares to Nauru's surplus of $48.3M, or 30.1% of GDP.
Over the past 16 years, Malaysia recorded a fiscal deficit in 16 of those years, while Nauru ran a deficit in 0 years. On average, Malaysia posted an annual deficit equal to -3.66% of GDP, compared to surplus of +19.4% of GDP for Nauru.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|
| 1990 | 0.15% | - |
| 1991 | 1.6% | - |
| 1992 | 1.81% | - |
| 1993 | 3.44% | - |
| 1994 | 5.45% | - |
| 1995 | 3.1% | - |
| 1996 | 3.27% | - |
| 1997 | 4.84% | - |
| 1998 | -0.63% | - |
| 1999 | -3% | - |
| 2000 | -6.05% | - |
| 2001 | -4.36% | - |
| 2002 | -3.96% | - |
| 2003 | -4.6% | - |
| 2004 | -3.35% | - |
| 2005 | -2.83% | - |
| 2006 | -2.6% | - |
| 2007 | -2.57% | - |
| 2008 | -3.4% | - |
| 2009 | -5.88% | 0.37% |
| 2010 | -4.32% | 0.09% |
| 2011 | -3.57% | 2.73% |
| 2012 | -3.1% | 8.12% |
| 2013 | -3.48% | 1.71% |
| 2014 | -2.63% | 29.6% |
| 2015 | -2.55% | 10.7% |
| 2016 | -2.6% | 18.9% |
| 2017 | -2.41% | 16.2% |
| 2018 | -2.64% | 29.6% |
| 2019 | -2.01% | 31% |
| 2020 | -4.9% | 42.8% |
| 2021 | -6.03% | 44.5% |
| 2022 | -4.56% | 24.3% |
| 2023 | -3.97% | 19.4% |
| 2024 | -3.95% | 30.1% |
| 2025 | -3.36% | 10.8% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 20 years, Malaysia has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.25%, compared with 4.84% in Nauru. In 2024, inflation was 1.83% in Malaysia and 6.1% in Nauru.
| Year | Inflation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
| 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% | 8.7% | |
| 2006 | 3.61% | 19.3% | |
| 2007 | 2.03% | 5.6% | |
| 2008 | 5.44% | 1% | |
| 2009 | 0.58% | 22.4% | |
| 2010 | 1.62% | -2% | |
| 2011 | 3.17% | -3.4% | |
| 2012 | 1.66% | 0.3% | |
| 2013 | 2.11% | -1.1% | |
| 2014 | 3.14% | 0.3% | |
| 2015 | 2.1% | 9.8% | |
| 2016 | 2.09% | 8.1% | |
| 2017 | 3.87% | 4.5% | |
| 2018 | 0.88% | 1.1% | |
| 2019 | 0.66% | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | -1.14% | 0.9% | |
| 2021 | 2.48% | 2% | |
| 2022 | 3.38% | 1.1% | |
| 2023 | 2.49% | 4.8% | |
| 2024 | 1.83% | 9.3% | |
| 2025 | - | 6.1% | |
Top exports between countries
|
Malaysia
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $292K |
| Machinery & equipment | $271K |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $259K |
| Chemicals & pharma | $161K |
| Animal & marine products | $82K |
| Miscellaneous | $17K |
| Raw agricultural goods | $11K |
| Raw materials & minerals | $3K |
| Wood & paper products | $2K |
| Precious metals & jewellery | $1K |
|
Nauru
|
|
|---|---|
| Export category | Export value |
Balance of trade
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$7.15B
2024 |
$1.92M
2023 |
| Current account balance ranking |
25/189
2024 |
74/189
2023 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+1.69%
2024 |
+1.27%
2023 |
| Goods imports |
$223B
2024 |
$89M
2023 |
| Goods exports |
$248B
2024 |
$31.8M
2023 |
| Service imports |
$56.4B
2024 |
$61.2M
2023 |
| Service exports |
$53.4B
2024 |
$33.1M
2023 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
66%
2024 |
118.7%
2024 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
71.4%
2024 |
39.5%
2024 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 67.1 | 60 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 50/197 | 96/197 |
| Property rights | 66.3 | n/a |
| Government integrity | 51.1 | n/a |
| Judicial effectiveness | 66.2 | n/a |
| Tax burden | 83.9 | n/a |
| Government spending | 82.1 | n/a |
| Fiscal health | 48.1 | n/a |
| Business freedom | 76.6 | n/a |
| Labor freedom | 58.1 | n/a |
| Monetary freedom | 79.6 | n/a |
| Trade freedom | 83.4 | n/a |
| Investment freedom | 60 | n/a |
| Financial freedom | 50 | n/a |
More economic indicators
|
Malaysia
|
Nauru
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
53.6%
2024 |
n/a |
| Industry, % of GDP |
37.1%
2024 |
n/a |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
8.16%
2024 |
n/a |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$415B
2024 |
$254M
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$37,500
2024 |
$23,210
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$116B
2024 |
n/a |
| Total reserves ranking |
24/177
2024 |
n/a |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$2.55B
2024 |
$3.11M
2023 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$15.6B
2024 |
-$280K
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$13B
2024 |
$6.17M
2024 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
5.8%
2023 |
n/a |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
21.9%
2024 |
n/a |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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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.