Three metrics of inequality in Malaysia
Malaysia: Three metrics of inequality was 48.07 in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
48.07
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
87th
of 113 countries
All-time high
59.04
in 1997
All-time low
47.68
in 2016
Years of data
43
1948–2022
Three metrics of inequality in Malaysia, 1948–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for three metrics of inequality in Malaysia is 48.07, measured 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, three metrics of inequality in Malaysia peaked at 59.04 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 47.68, in 2016.
That places Malaysia 87th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Three metrics of inequality in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 50.85 | — |
| 1949 | 49.73 | -2.2% |
| 1950 | 49.67 | -0.1% |
| 1951 | 49.75 | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 50.48 | +1.5% |
| 1953 | 50.3 | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 50.92 | +1.2% |
| 1955 | 51.63 | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 51.87 | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 52.29 | +0.8% |
| 1958 | 52.89 | +1.1% |
| 1959 | 53.26 | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 53.83 | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 54.2 | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 54.08 | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 54.38 | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 54.56 | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 54.63 | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 54.19 | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 54.39 | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 54.74 | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 54.53 | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 55.62 | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 55.6 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 55.48 | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 56.18 | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 56.01 | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 55.98 | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 58.86 | +5.1% |
| 1987 | 57.84 | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 57.43 | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 58.24 | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 58.76 | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 59.04 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 56.91 | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 57.04 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 58.16 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 56.75 | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 54.56 | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 51.79 | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 47.68 | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 47.68 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 48.07 | +0.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 48.07 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58.98, 82% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 48.07 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.06, 86% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 50.29 | 49.73 | 50.85 | 2 |
| 1950s | 51.31 | 49.67 | 53.26 | 10 |
| 1960s | 54.35 | 53.83 | 54.74 | 10 |
| 1970s | 55.81 | 55.48 | 56.18 | 6 |
| 1980s | 58.04 | 57.43 | 58.86 | 3 |
| 1990s | 58.68 | 58.24 | 59.04 | 3 |
| 2000s | 57.21 | 56.75 | 58.16 | 4 |
| 2010s | 50.43 | 47.68 | 54.56 | 4 |
| 2020s | 48.07 | 48.07 | 48.07 | 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 three metrics of inequality in Malaysia?
- Three metrics of inequality in Malaysia was 48.07 in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest three metrics of inequality recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 59.04 in 1997.
- What is the lowest three metrics of inequality recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.68 in 2016.
- How does Malaysia rank for three metrics of inequality?
- Malaysia ranks 87th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is three metrics of inequality 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 Three metrics of inequality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.