Current Economic Indicators of Malaysia

This page aims to provide a quick glance on the country's economic health. Latest figures shown as soon as I obtain them. Updates to this page are not shown on the main index.

Legal notice : No guarantee is provided for accuracy.

Latest Official 2000 Estimates
Source: Budget 2000, Economic Report 1999/2000

Real Gross Domestic Product growth : 5.8%

Latest Official 1999 Estimates
Source: Budget 2000, Economic Report 1999/2000

Real Gross Domestic Product growth : 4.3%

Inflation : 3%

Unemployment : 3%

Per Capita Income (Current prices) : RM11,831

Trade Account : RM74.1 billion surplus

Services Account : RM25.1 billion deficit

Current Account : RM42 billion surplus

Gross National Product per capita : RM12,369 (USD3,255)

Gross National Product per capita (PPP) : RM32,695 (USD8,604)

Current Indicators

Ringgit - United States Dollar Exchange Rate (Pegged rate effective 2 September 1998) : RM3.80 per U.S. Dollar

Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) Market Capitalisation (6 December 2000) : RM491 billion (USD129.2 billion)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth :
(Compared with figures from same quarter of previous year, base year 1987)
First quarter 1998 : -2.8% (base year 1978)
Second quarter 1998 : -6.8% (base year 1978)
Third quarter 1998 : -9% (base year 1978)
Fourth quarter 1998 : -8.1% (base year 1978)
Year 1998 : -6.7% (base year 1978)
Year 1998 : -7.5%
First quarter 1999 : -1.3%
Second quarter 1999 : 4.1%
Third quarter 1999 : 8.2%
Fourth quarter 1999 : 10.6%
Year 1999 : 5.8%
First quarter 2000 : 11.9%
Second quarter 2000 : 8.5%
Third quarter 2000 : 7.7%

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) :
Year 1997 : RM281.794 billion (current prices) / RM196.714 billion (1987 prices)
Year 1998 : RM284.472 billion (current prices) / RM182.221 billion (1987 prices)
First quarter 1999 : RM68.006 billion (current prices) / RM44.669 billion (1987 prices)
Second quarter 1999 : RM73.946 billion (current prices) / RM48.049 billion (1987 prices)
Third quarter 1999 : RM77.237 billion (current prices) / RM49.446 billion (1987 prices)
Fourth quarter 1999 : RM80.004 billion (current prices) / RM50.343 billion (1987 prices)
Year 1999 : RM300.349 billion (current prices) / RM192.794 billion (1987 prices)
First quarter 2000 : RM80.141 billion (current prices) / RM50.004 billion (1987 prices)
Second quarter 2000 : RM84.732 billion (current prices) / RM52.241 billion (1987 prices)
Third quarter 2000 : RM87.134 billion (current prices) / RM53.308 billion (1987 prices)

Gross National Product (GNP) :
Year 1997 : RM266.699 billion (current prices) / RM182.298 billion (1987 prices)
Year 1998 : RM269.136 billion (current prices) / RM172.756 billion (1987 prices)
Year 1999 : RM279.843 billion (current prices) / RM179.889 billion (1987 prices)

Gross National Income (GNI) :
Year 1999 : RM279.843 billion (current prices), per capita : RM12,305
First quarter 2000 : RM74,584 billion (current prices), per capita : n/a
Second quarter 2000 : RM78.238 billion (current prices), per capita : n/a

Current Account (Fourth quarter 1998) : RM11.697 billion surplus
(Compared with previous quarter)
Merchandise Exports f.o.b. : RM74.218 billion (+RM1.504 billion)
Merchandise Imports f.o.b. : RM51.688 billion (-RM0.586 billion)
Services Exports : RM10.062 billion (-RM2.118 billion)
Services Imports : RM15.056 billion (-RM2.829 billion)
Year 1997 : RM15.82 billion deficit
Year 1998 : RM36.794 billion surplus

Trade figures :
1998 Exports : RM286.6 billion
1999 Exports : RM321.1 billion
1998 Imports : RM228.1 billion
1999 Imports : RM248.9 billion
1998 Balance : RM58.4 billion surplus
1999 Balance : RM72.3 billion surplus

Inflation :

Consumer Price Index (CPI) (annual change)
May 2000 : 120.5
Change from previous month : +0.2
Change from April 1999 to May 1999 : +0.4

Consumer Price Indicators (May 2000, annual change)
All groups : 1.3%
Adjusted CPI (excluding food) : 1.0%

Index of Industrial Production (April 2000) : 184.3 (-1.6)
(Compared to previous month)

Producer Price Indicators (April 2000, annual change) :
All groups : 4.7%
Index adjusted (excluding raw materials) : 0.4%

National Employment Statistics (number of persons) :

Total Labour Force
Year 1998 : 8.8836 million
First quarter 1999 : 9.0939 million
Second quarter 1999 : 9.0948 million
Third quarter 1999 : 9.2068 million
Year 1999 : 9.1515 million
First quarter 2000 : 9.5949 million
Second quarter 2000 : 9.3875 million

Employed
Year 1998 : 8.5996 million
First quarter 1999 : 8.8861 million
Second quarter 1999 : 8.7919 million
Third quarter 1999 : 8.9373 million
Year 1999 : 8.8378 million
First quarter 2000 : 9.3032 million
Second quarter 2000 : 9.0771 million

Unemployed
Year 1998 : 284,000
First quarter 1999 : 407,800
Second quarter 1999 : 302,900
Third quarter 1999 : 269,500
Year 1999 : 313,700
First quarter 2000 : 291,700
Second quarter 2000 : 310,400

Unemployment (as percentage of labour force)
Year 1998 : 3.2%
First quarter 1999 : 4.5%
Second quarter 1999 : 3.3%
Third quarter 1999 : 2.9% Year 1999 : 3.4%
First quarter 2000 : 3%
Second quarter 2000 : 3.3%

Per capita income :
Year 1997 : RM12,051
Year 1998 : RM11,835

Poverty level :
Year 1997 : 6.1%
Year 1998 : 7%

Money Supply (May 2000) :
(Compared to previous month)
M1 : RM67,127.0 million (-RM247.0 million)
M2 : RM328,510.1 million (-RM2,861.9 million)
M3 : RM428,302.2 million (+RM5,067.2 million)

Non-Performing Loans (April 2000) :
(Compared to previous month, classification depending on institution)
Banking sector : 10.8% [-0.1%] / 6.6% [+0.1%] (3 / 6 months classification)
Commercial banks : 8.9% [-0.2%] / 5.7% [-] (3 / 6 months classification)
Finance companies : 15.1% [+0.1%] / 8.9% [+0.5%] (3 / 6 months classification)
Merchant banks : 22.9% [+0.9%] / 11.7% [+0.2%] (3 / 6 months classification)

Outstanding External Debt :
First quarter 1998 : RM156,411 million
Second quarter 1998 : RM173,580 million
Third quarter 1998 : RM151,727 million
Fourth quarter 1998 : RM161,363 million
First quarter 1999 : RM159,516 million
Second quarter 1999 : RM162,288 million
Third quarter 1999 : RM166,492 million
Fourth quarter 1999 : RM160,693 million
First quarter 2000 : RM155,282 million

Statutory Reserve Requirement (SRR) for financial institutions (effective 16 September 1998) : 4.0 percent

Central Bank (BNM) 3-month intervention rate (effective 9 August 1998) : 5.5 percent
For computation of the Base Lending Rate (BLR) for all financial institutions

Current Base Lending Rate (BLR) of commercial banks : 6.5 percent

Current average time deposit rate of commercial banks (3 months) : 3.4 percent

Central Bank (BNM) Interbank Rates (5 December 2000) :
Overnight : 2.86%
1 week : 2.85%
1 month : 2.99%

COMMEX Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rates (KLIBOR) (6 October 2000) :
1 month : 3.07%
3 months : 3.33%
6 months : 3.49%
12 months : 3.8%

Central Bank (BNM) net international reserves (15 November 2000) : RM115,130,753,164 (USD30.2976 billion)
Months of retained imports (at present levels, approximate) : 4.5