Current account balance in Malaysia
Malaysia: Current account balance was 1.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Malaysia, 1974–2024
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, current account balance in Malaysia stood at 1.7%.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and down 61.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Malaysia peaked at 16.9% in 2008 and was at its lowest, -13.4%, in 1982.
That places Malaysia 63rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -5.7% | — |
| 1975 | -5.3% | -6.8% |
| 1976 | 5.3% | -200.4% |
| 1977 | 3.4% | -35.8% |
| 1978 | 0.8% | -77.2% |
| 1979 | 4.4% | +471.8% |
| 1980 | -1.1% | -124.5% |
| 1981 | -9.9% | +809.1% |
| 1982 | -13.4% | +35.5% |
| 1983 | -11.5% | -14.2% |
| 1984 | -4.9% | -57.5% |
| 1985 | -1.9% | -60.6% |
| 1986 | -0.4% | -81.0% |
| 1987 | 8.0% | -2286.8% |
| 1988 | 5.3% | -33.8% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | -84.7% |
| 1990 | -2.0% | -344.1% |
| 1991 | -8.5% | +330.7% |
| 1992 | -3.7% | -57.0% |
| 1993 | -4.5% | +22.1% |
| 1994 | -6.1% | +35.7% |
| 1995 | -9.7% | +60.6% |
| 1996 | -4.4% | -54.6% |
| 1997 | -5.9% | +34.2% |
| 1998 | 13.2% | -322.5% |
| 1999 | 15.9% | +20.6% |
| 2000 | 9.0% | -43.2% |
| 2001 | 7.9% | -13.2% |
| 2002 | 7.1% | -9.2% |
| 2003 | 12.1% | +70.3% |
| 2004 | 12.1% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 13.9% | +15.2% |
| 2006 | 16.1% | +15.7% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | -4.5% |
| 2008 | 16.9% | +9.6% |
| 2009 | 15.7% | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 10.1% | -36.0% |
| 2011 | 10.9% | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | -52.4% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | -33.2% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | +26.7% |
| 2015 | 3.0% | -31.5% |
| 2016 | 2.4% | -21.3% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | +18.6% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -20.3% |
| 2019 | 3.5% | +56.6% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | +19.6% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | -7.4% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | -19.4% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -49.9% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | +8.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | -5.7% | 5.3% | 6 |
| 1980s | -2.9% | -13.4% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.6% | -9.7% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.6% | 7.1% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 2.2% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 1.6% | 4.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More economy & growth data for Malaysia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.97 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.221 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 2,900 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.9467 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 12,425 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2165 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 2,842 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 11,100 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 7.88 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Malaysia?
- Current account balance in Malaysia was 1.7% in 2024, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 2008.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was -13.4% in 1982.
- How does Malaysia rank for current account balance?
- Malaysia ranks 63rd out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 61.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.