Gini index in Malaysia
Malaysia: Gini index was 40.7 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Gini index in Malaysia, 1984–2021
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
In 2021, gini index in Malaysia stood at 40.7. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in Malaysia peaked at 49.1 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 40.7, in 2021.
Malaysia ranks 24th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Gini index in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 48.5 | — |
| 1987 | 47 | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 46.2 | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 47.7 | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 48.5 | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 49.1 | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 46.4 | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 44.8 | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 45.5 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 43.6 | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 41.3 | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 41.1 | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 41.2 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 40.7 | -1.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 40.7 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 36.9, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 40.7 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 34.4, 1.2× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.23 | 46.2 | 48.5 | 3 |
| 1990s | 48.43 | 47.7 | 49.1 | 3 |
| 2000s | 45.57 | 44.8 | 46.4 | 3 |
| 2010s | 41.8 | 41.1 | 43.6 | 4 |
| 2020s | 40.7 | 40.7 | 40.7 | 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)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (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)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.57 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini index in Malaysia?
- Gini index in Malaysia was 40.7 in 2021, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest gini index recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.1 in 1997.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.7 in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for gini index?
- Malaysia ranks 24th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is gini index rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.