Malaysia Economic Statistics Review (MESR) Volume 3/2025: Key Insights on Growth, Trade, and Labour Market Trends
The Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM) has released the latest edition of the Malaysian Economic Statistics Review (MESR), Volume 3/2025, highlighting key economic developments from January 2025 and offering insights into upcoming statistics for February 2025. This edition also features an in-depth analysis titled “Trend Analysis of Exports on Current Account: The Case of Malaysia,” which explores the impact of exports on trade, income, and growth opportunities through investments in skills, R&D, and service sector development.
Global and National Economic Outlook According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report released in January 2025, the global economy is projected to grow by 2.8% in 2025 and 2.9% in 2026, remaining below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2%. Growth in China and the U.S. is expected to slow, while Europe, Japan, and the U.K. anticipate gradual recoveries. Conversely, Indonesia and India are expected to maintain strong economic momentum. On the domestic front, Malaysia’s economy expanded by 5.1% in 2024, an improvement from 3.6% in 2023, with the Services sector leading at 5.4% growth. Manufacturing grew by 4.2%, Construction surged by 17.5%, Agriculture rose by 3.1%, and Mining & Quarrying posted a modest 0.9% increase.
Industrial and Trade Performance Malaysia’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) recorded a 2.1% year-on-year growth in January 2025, driven mainly by the Manufacturing sector’s 3.7% expansion. However, the Mining sector contracted by 3.1%, and the Electricity sector saw a slight decline of 0.1%. The Manufacturing sector also reported a 3.5% increase in sales value, reaching RM158.1 billion, with the Food, Beverages & Tobacco segment growing by 10.6% and Electrical & Electronics rising by 7.3%. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s total trade increased by 3.1% year-on-year to RM241.9 billion, with exports reaching RM122.8 billion (+0.3%) and imports climbing to RM119.2 billion (+6.2%).
Labour Market Stability and Inflation Trends Malaysia’s labour force expanded in January 2025, with the number of employed persons increasing by 455,000 (+2.8%), bringing the total to 16.68 million. The unemployment rate remained stable at 3.1%, while the labour force participation rate improved to 70.6%. Inflation remained steady at 1.7%, with notable price increases in Restaurants & Accommodation, Personal Care, and Transport, while price declines were recorded in Information & Communication (-5.3%) and Clothing & Footwear (-0.3%).
Economic Indicators and ASEAN Leadership The Leading Index (LI) recorded a year-on-year increase of 0.4% in January 2025, signaling continued growth momentum despite monthly declines. Additionally, Malaysia will chair the 15th ASEAN Community Statistical System Committee (ACSS15) to enhance regional statistical cooperation. In line with national statistical awareness efforts, Malaysia will celebrate National Statistics Day on October 20, 2025, alongside the Fourth World Statistics Day, themed ‘Driving Change with Quality Statistics and Data for Everyone.’
For more economic data and insights, visit OpenDOSM NextGen at https://open.dosm.gov.my.
