SOUTH-EASTERN ASIA

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur · pop. 34M · English, Malay · Malaysian ringgit

Trajectories

economic complexity

#29

Climbing the complexity rankings, from #46 in 1995.

2024 · 0.86

Harvard Growth Lab · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers30

when	value	change
1995low	0.61
1996	0.67	+0.05 pts
1997	0.62	−0.04 pts
1998	0.62	−0.01 pts
1999	0.65	+0.03 pts
2000	0.79	+0.14 pts
2001	0.89	+0.10 pts
2002	0.85	−0.03 pts
2003	0.84	−0.01 pts
2004	0.82	−0.02 pts
2005	0.81	−0.01 pts
2006	0.87	+0.06 pts
2007	0.87	0 pts
2008	0.79	−0.08 pts
2009	0.85	+0.06 pts
2010	0.88	+0.03 pts
2011	0.93	+0.05 pts
2012	0.92	−0.01 pts
2013	0.95	+0.04 pts
2014	0.96	0 pts
2015	0.96	0 pts
2016	0.95	−0.01 pts
2017	0.94	−0.01 pts
2018	1.00	+0.06 pts
2019	1.03	+0.03 pts
2020	1.04	+0.01 pts
2021high	1.09	+0.05 pts
2022	1.07	−0.02 pts
2023	0.95	−0.12 pts
2024latest	0.86	−0.09 pts

economic momentum

$11.9K

Tripled since 2000. GDP per head in 2024, in current US dollars.

2024 · $11.9K

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990low	$2,469
1991	$2,679	+8.5%
1992	$3,141	+17.3%
1993	$3,462	+10.2%
1994	$3,758	+8.5%
1995	$4,363	+16.1%
1996	$4,837	+10.9%
1997	$4,679	−3.3%
1998	$3,294	−29.6%
1999	$3,528	+7.1%
2000	$4,084	+15.8%
2001	$3,944	−3.4%
2002	$4,184	+6.1%
2003	$4,465	+6.7%
2004	$4,939	+10.6%
2005	$5,556	+12.5%
2006	$6,158	+10.9%
2007	$7,169	+16.4%
2008	$8,372	+16.8%
2009	$7,191	−14.1%
2010	$8,899	+23.7%
2011	$10.2K	+14.8%
2012	$10.6K	+3.8%
2013	$10.7K	+1.1%
2014	$11.0K	+2.8%
2015	$9,649	−12.4%
2016	$9,477	−1.8%
2017	$9,863	+4.1%
2018	$10.9K	+10.5%
2019	$10.9K	+0.2%
2020	$9,958	−8.8%
2021	$10.9K	+9.5%
2022	$11.8K	+7.8%
2023	$11.4K	−3.1%
2024latest	$11.9K	+4.3%

prices

1.8%

A year’s rise in consumer prices, in 2024. The world’s median was 3.1%.

2024 · 1.8%

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median

the numbers35

when	value	change
1990	2.6%
1991	4.4%	+1.74 pts
1992	4.8%	+0.41 pts
1993	3.5%	−1.23 pts
1994	3.7%	+0.19 pts
1995	3.5%	−0.27 pts
1996	3.5%	+0.04 pts
1997	2.7%	−0.83 pts
1998	5.3%	+2.61 pts
1999	2.7%	−2.53 pts
2000	1.5%	−1.21 pts
2001	1.4%	−0.12 pts
2002	1.8%	+0.39 pts
2003	1.1%	−0.72 pts
2004	1.4%	+0.33 pts
2005	3.0%	+1.55 pts
2006	3.6%	+0.63 pts
2007	2.0%	−1.58 pts
2008high	5.4%	+3.41 pts
2009	0.6%	−4.86 pts
2010	1.6%	+1.04 pts
2011	3.2%	+1.55 pts
2012	1.7%	−1.51 pts
2013	2.1%	+0.44 pts
2014	3.1%	+1.04 pts
2015	2.1%	−1.04 pts
2016	2.1%	−0.01 pts
2017	3.9%	+1.78 pts
2018	0.9%	−2.99 pts
2019	0.7%	−0.22 pts
2020low	−1.1%	−1.80 pts
2021	2.5%	+3.62 pts
2022	3.4%	+0.90 pts
2023	2.5%	−0.89 pts
2024latest	1.8%	−0.65 pts

demographic curve

1.5 children per woman

Below replacement: shrinking in the long run unless migration offsets it. Fell from 4.0 in 1980.

2024 · 1.5

World Bank · thin line is the world’s median · rule marks replacement (2.1)

the numbers65

when	value	change
1960high	6.4
1961	6.4	−0.7%
1962	6.3	−1.1%
1963	6.2	−1.7%
1964	6.0	−2.6%
1965	5.8	−3.2%
1966	5.6	−3.4%
1967	5.4	−3.6%
1968	5.3	−2.6%
1969	5.2	−2.5%
1970	5.0	−2.4%
1971	4.9	−2.2%
1972	4.8	−2.1%
1973	4.7	−2.0%
1974	4.6	−2.3%
1975	4.5	−2.6%
1976	4.4	−2.3%
1977	4.3	−2.6%
1978	4.2	−2.4%
1979	4.1	−2.1%
1980	4.0	−1.4%
1981	4.0	−0.8%
1982	4.0	−0.9%
1983	3.9	−1.0%
1984	3.9	−1.1%
1985	3.8	−2.1%
1986	3.7	−2.8%
1987	3.6	−3.6%
1988	3.5	−1.8%
1989	3.3	−5.4%
1990	3.3	−0.3%
1991	3.3	+1.1%
1992	3.4	+1.0%
1993	3.4	−0.3%
1994	3.3	−0.5%
1995	3.3	−0.9%
1996	3.3	−0.6%
1997	3.2	−2.1%
1998	3.1	−3.3%
1999	3.1	−1.7%
2000	2.9	−4.1%
2001	2.8	−4.6%
2002	2.7	−5.3%
2003	2.6	−2.1%
2004	2.5	−4.2%
2005	2.4	−4.1%
2006	2.3	−3.5%
2007	2.3	−2.4%
2008	2.3	+0.4%
2009	2.2	−1.7%
2010	2.1	−3.6%
2011	2.2	+0.4%
2012	2.1	−1.7%
2013	2.1	−2.2%
2014	2.1	−0.6%
2015	2.0	−2.4%
2016	1.9	−3.3%
2017	1.9	−2.5%
2018	1.8	−2.9%
2019	1.8	−3.3%
2020	1.7	−5.5%
2021	1.6	−7.4%
2022	1.6	−0.3%
2023	1.6	0.0%
2024latest	1.5	−0.5%

Metrics

population

34M

44 of 176

REST Countries · UN data
gdp

$400B

38 of 170

World Bank · latest available
gdp per capita

$11,386

65 of 170

World Bank · latest available
military spending

$4B

50 of 151

SIPRI via World Bank
military % of gdp

1.0%

114 of 148

SIPRI via World Bank
area

331K km²

69 of 176

REST Countries
population density

103 /km²

61 of 176

zuhd — derived from population and area
life expectancy

76.7 yr

64 of 175

World Bank · latest available
internet access

98%

11 of 166

ITU via World Bank
co₂ per capita

8.3 t

21 of 163

World Bank · Climate Watch
urbanisation

77%

47 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
fertility rate

1.5

123 of 168

World Bank · UN DESA
foreign-born share

11%

45 of 167

World Bank · UN DESA
remittances % of gdp

0.4%

119 of 155

World Bank · IMF BOP
r&d % of gdp

1.0%

38 of 123

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
researchers per million

1,218

50 of 118

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
scientific articles / yr

27K

20 of 168

NSF / World Bank
high-tech exports %

59%

2 of 153

World Bank · UN Comtrade
gini inequality

40.7

110 of 139

World Bank · PovcalNet
youth unemployment

12%

78 of 166

ILO via World Bank
adult literacy

96%

35 of 109

UNESCO UIS via World Bank
democracy (v-dem)

0.35

80 of 163

V-Dem via Our World in Data
clean government

50

47 of 164

Transparency International via Our World in Data
press freedom

39.5

104 of 163

RSF via Our World in Data
human development

0.819

57 of 164

UNDP via Our World in Data
refugees hosted

138K

44 of 150

UNHCR via Our World in Data
refugees produced

1.2K

94 of 152

UNHCR via Our World in Data