Gini coefficient (before tax) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Gini coefficient (before tax) was 0.4807 in 2022. ▬ Flat
Gini coefficient (before tax) in Malaysia, 1948–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 0.4807 for gini coefficient (before tax) in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient (before tax) in Malaysia peaked at 0.5904 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.4768, in 2016.
Malaysia ranks 87th of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.5029 | 0.4973 | 0.5085 | 2 |
| 1950s | 0.5131 | 0.4967 | 0.5326 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5435 | 0.5383 | 0.5474 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.5581 | 0.5548 | 0.5618 | 6 |
| 1980s | 0.5804 | 0.5743 | 0.5886 | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.5868 | 0.5824 | 0.5904 | 3 |
| 2000s | 0.5722 | 0.5675 | 0.5816 | 4 |
| 2010s | 0.5043 | 0.4768 | 0.5456 | 4 |
| 2020s | 0.4807 | 0.4807 | 0.4807 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More poverty & inequality data for Malaysia
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.55 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,524 kg per hectare (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.6% (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.172 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1011 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1011 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.1209 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 12.5% (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.2476 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini coefficient (before tax) in Malaysia?
- Gini coefficient (before tax) in Malaysia was 0.4807 in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5904 in 1997.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4768 in 2016.
- How does Malaysia rank for gini coefficient (before tax)?
- Malaysia ranks 87th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.