Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malaysia
Malaysia: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 19.9% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malaysia is 19.9%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malaysia peaked at 29.1% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 19.9%, in 2021.
That places Malaysia 66th out of 123 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 29.1% | — |
| 1987 | 28.8% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 28.2% | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 28.9% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 29.0% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 27.7% | -4.5% |
| 2003 | 26.8% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 25.5% | -4.9% |
| 2008 | 26.1% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 23.7% | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 20.1% | -15.2% |
| 2015 | 20.2% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 20.5% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 19.9% | -2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.7% | 28.2% | 29.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 28.5% | 27.7% | 29.0% | 3 |
| 2000s | 26.1% | 25.5% | 26.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 21.1% | 20.1% | 23.7% | 4 |
| 2020s | 19.9% | 19.9% | 19.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 63 Dominican Republic 20.3% compare
- 64 Nepal 20.2% compare
- 64 United States of America 20.2% compare
- 67 Viet Nam 19.7% compare
- 68 Türkiye 19.6% compare
- 69 China 19.4% compare
- 69 Kyrgyzstan 19.4% compare
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 poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malaysia?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Malaysia was 19.9% 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 poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 1984.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.9% in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Malaysia ranks 66th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. 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 Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). 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
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.