As of 2021, Malaysia has a population of 33.4 million, making it the 44th largest country in the world by this measure. There are 51.4% males and 48.6% females.

There are 14.9 million people employed in Malaysia, with an unemployment rate of 4.3% – 503,474 people.


Malaysia is the 34th largest economy in the world with a GDP of $363.9bn. Malaysia’s GDP has grown by 47% between 2010 and 2021 and is expected to grow by 32% by 2025.

As of 2021 there are 1.4 million students in tertiary education in Malaysia, with 2.7 million students in secondary and 3.1 million in primary education. Malaysia spent 4.7% of its GDP on education in 2019.

Malaysia ranked 12th in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report (2020). In the 2019 report it finished 15th. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report (2019), Malaysia finished 27th, after ranking 27th in 2018.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Public healthcare expenditure totalled $7.1bn and private healthcare expenditure equalled $7.1bn in 2018.

The largest urban areas in Malaysia are Kuala Lumpur (6.6 million people), Penang (2.6 million) and Johor Bahru (1.7 million).