Income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia
Malaysia: Income share held by highest 20% was 46.9% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Income share held by highest 20% 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
Malaysia recorded 46.9% for income share held by highest 20% in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia peaked at 54.3% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 46.9%, in 2021.
That places Malaysia 25th out of 123 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.
Income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 53.8% | — |
| 1987 | 52.7% | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 52.0% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 53.1% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 53.8% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 54.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 51.7% | -4.8% |
| 2006 | 50.3% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 50.8% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 49.2% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 47.7% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 47.3% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 47.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 46.9% | -0.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 46.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 43.5%, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 46.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 43.1%, 1.1× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 52.8% | 52.0% | 53.8% | 3 |
| 1990s | 53.7% | 53.1% | 54.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 50.9% | 50.3% | 51.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 47.9% | 47.3% | 49.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 46.9% | 46.9% | 46.9% | 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 income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia?
- Income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia was 46.9% 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 income share held by highest 20% recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 54.3% in 1997.
- What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.9% in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for income share held by highest 20%?
- Malaysia ranks 25th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is income share held by highest 20% rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. 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 Income share held by highest 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.