Trade in services (% of GDP) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 27.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Trade in services in Malaysia, 1974–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, trade in services in Malaysia stood at 27.3%.
The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Malaysia peaked at 34.1% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1976.
That places Malaysia 79th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 11.3% | — |
| 1975 | 13.5% | +20.0% |
| 1976 | 11.1% | -17.7% |
| 1977 | 11.7% | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 12.1% | +3.5% |
| 1979 | 13.7% | +12.5% |
| 1980 | 16.7% | +22.3% |
| 1981 | 16.7% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 18.1% | +8.4% |
| 1983 | 19.2% | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 18.2% | -4.9% |
| 1985 | 18.8% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 20.0% | +6.7% |
| 1987 | 18.2% | -9.0% |
| 1988 | 18.7% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 19.7% | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 21.2% | +7.6% |
| 1991 | 22.3% | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 20.8% | -6.4% |
| 1993 | 23.8% | +14.3% |
| 1994 | 28.7% | +20.5% |
| 1995 | 30.0% | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 32.4% | +8.2% |
| 1997 | 34.0% | +4.9% |
| 1998 | 34.1% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 33.9% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 32.8% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 33.7% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 31.1% | -7.6% |
| 2003 | 28.3% | -9.1% |
| 2004 | 29.3% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 29.1% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 27.5% | -5.4% |
| 2007 | 29.8% | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 26.4% | -11.4% |
| 2009 | 27.6% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 26.4% | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 25.9% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 26.7% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 25.8% | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 24.9% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 25.1% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 24.9% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 23.6% | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 23.2% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 16.5% | -29.1% |
| 2021 | 15.6% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 18.9% | +21.3% |
| 2023 | 23.8% | +25.5% |
| 2024 | 25.6% | +7.8% |
| 2025 | 27.3% | +6.4% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 27.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.5%, 1.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 27.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.5%, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 12.2% | 11.1% | 13.7% | 6 |
| 1980s | 18.4% | 16.7% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.1% | 20.8% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.6% | 26.4% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.4% | 23.2% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.3% | 15.6% | 27.3% | 6 |
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)
- 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)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0078 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in services in Malaysia?
- Trade in services in Malaysia was 27.3% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 34.1% in 1998.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1976.
- How does Malaysia rank for trade in services?
- Malaysia ranks 79th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. 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.