Real gdp growth in Malaysia
Malaysia: Real gdp growth was 5.17 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real gdp growth in Malaysia, 1980–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for real gdp growth in Malaysia is 5.17, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real gdp growth in Malaysia peaked at 10 in 1996 and was at its lowest, -7.36, in 1998.
Malaysia ranks 34th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real gdp growth in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.44 | — |
| 1981 | 6.94 | -6.7% |
| 1982 | 5.94 | -14.4% |
| 1983 | 6.25 | +5.2% |
| 1984 | 7.76 | +24.2% |
| 1985 | -0.876 | -111.3% |
| 1986 | 1.15 | -231.6% |
| 1987 | 5.39 | +367.4% |
| 1988 | 9.94 | +84.4% |
| 1989 | 9.06 | -8.8% |
| 1990 | 9.01 | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 9.55 | +6.0% |
| 1992 | 8.89 | -6.9% |
| 1993 | 9.9 | +11.4% |
| 1994 | 9.21 | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 9.83 | +6.7% |
| 1996 | 10 | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 7.33 | -26.7% |
| 1998 | -7.36 | -200.4% |
| 1999 | 6.13 | -183.3% |
| 2000 | 8.67 | +41.4% |
| 2001 | 0.518 | -94.0% |
| 2002 | 5.39 | +940.7% |
| 2003 | 5.79 | +7.4% |
| 2004 | 6.78 | +17.2% |
| 2005 | 4.98 | -26.6% |
| 2006 | 5.58 | +12.2% |
| 2007 | 6.3 | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 4.83 | -23.3% |
| 2009 | -1.51 | -131.3% |
| 2010 | 7.53 | -597.2% |
| 2011 | 5.29 | -29.7% |
| 2012 | 5.47 | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 4.69 | -14.2% |
| 2014 | 6.01 | +28.0% |
| 2015 | 5.01 | -16.6% |
| 2016 | 4.45 | -11.1% |
| 2017 | 5.81 | +30.6% |
| 2018 | 4.84 | -16.7% |
| 2019 | 4.41 | -8.9% |
| 2020 | -5.46 | -223.7% |
| 2021 | 3.31 | -160.7% |
| 2022 | 9.03 | +172.5% |
| 2023 | 3.54 | -60.8% |
| 2024 | 5.11 | +44.3% |
| 2025 | 5.17 | +1.3% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 5.17 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.49, 1.5× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 5.17 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.05, 1.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real gdp growth in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +940.7% | 0.518 | 5.39 |
| 2010 | +597.2% | -1.51 | 7.53 |
| 1987 | +367.4% | 1.15 | 5.39 |
| 1986 | +231.6% | -0.876 | 1.15 |
| 2020 | -223.7% | 4.41 | -5.46 |
| 1998 | -200.4% | 7.33 | -7.36 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.9 | -0.876 | 9.94 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.25 | -7.36 | 10 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.73 | -1.51 | 8.67 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.35 | 4.41 | 7.53 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.45 | -5.46 | 9.03 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 31 Ghana 5.85 compare
- 32 Mozambique, Republic of 5.5 compare
- 33 Guinea-Bissau 5.2 compare
- 35 Tanzania, United Republic of 5.15 compare
- 36 Liberia 5.14 compare
- 37 Indonesia 5.11 compare
More economy & growth data for Malaysia
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 1.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0126 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 165.93 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.291 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0092 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 121.16 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.7 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real gdp growth in Malaysia?
- Real gdp growth in Malaysia was 5.17 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest real gdp growth recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 10 in 1996.
- What is the lowest real gdp growth recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was -7.36 in 1998.
- How does Malaysia rank for real gdp growth?
- Malaysia ranks 34th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real gdp growth rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Real gdp growth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).