Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia
Malaysia: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 16.5% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia, 1984–2021
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2021, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia stood at 16.5%.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia peaked at 21.1% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2013.
That places Malaysia 24th out of 130 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 20.2% | — |
| 1987 | 19.5% | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | -4.6% |
| 1992 | 20.4% | +9.7% |
| 1995 | 20.8% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 21.1% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 20.0% | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 20.1% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 18.5% | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 15.9% | -14.1% |
| 2015 | 16.4% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 16.5% | -2.9% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 16.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.8%, 1.1× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 16.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 11.3%, 1.5× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.4% | 18.6% | 20.2% | 3 |
| 1990s | 20.8% | 20.4% | 21.1% | 3 |
| 2000s | 19.7% | 19.0% | 20.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 16.9% | 15.9% | 18.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 16.5% | 16.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More infrastructure data for Malaysia
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 49.66 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 139.66 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 8.22 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 23.11 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.2311 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -2.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 8.22 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.4 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Malaysia was 16.5% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 1997.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2013.
- How does Malaysia rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Malaysia ranks 24th out of 130 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. 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 Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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