Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Malaysia
Malaysia: Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP was 12.6% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
12.6%
Change on year
up 8.0%
World rank
118th
of 164 countries
All-time high
17.8%
in 2001
All-time low
10.9%
in 2020
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Malaysia, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 12.6% for tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in 2023.
That represents a change of up 8.0% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Malaysia peaked at 17.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 2020.
That places Malaysia 118th out of 164 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.7% | — |
| 2001 | 17.8% | +30.2% |
| 2002 | 17.4% | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | -11.2% |
| 2004 | 15.2% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 14.8% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 14.5% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 14.3% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 14.7% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | -10.8% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | +11.0% |
| 2012 | 15.6% | +5.5% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 14.8% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 14.1% | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 12.9% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 12.0% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 11.9% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 10.9% | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 11.6% | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +8.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 12.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.2%, 73% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 12.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 17.0%, 74% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.3% | 13.7% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.8% | 11.9% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.6% | 10.9% | 12.6% | 4 |
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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 13.04 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0309 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 366.69 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 15.59 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 96.92 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0369 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 438.53 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.09 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Malaysia?
- Tax revenue as a proportion of gdp in Malaysia was 12.6% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest tax revenue as a proportion of gdp recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 17.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as a proportion of gdp recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 2020.
- How does Malaysia rank for tax revenue as a proportion of gdp?
- Malaysia ranks 118th out of 164 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Tax revenue as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).