Gini index in Malaysia

Malaysia: Gini index was 40.7 in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
40.7
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
24th
of 121 countries
All-time high
49.1
in 1997
All-time low
40.7
in 2021
Years of data
14
1984–2021

Gini index in Malaysia, 1984–2021

010203040501984200220211984: 48.51987: 471989: 46.21992: 47.71995: 48.51997: 49.12003: 46.42006: 44.82008: 45.52011: 43.62013: 41.32015: 41.12018: 41.22021: 40.7

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.

Analysis

In 2021, gini index in Malaysia stood at 40.7. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gini index in Malaysia peaked at 49.1 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 40.7, in 2021.

Malaysia ranks 24th of 121 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 47.23 46.2 48.5 3
1990s 48.43 47.7 49.1 3
2000s 45.57 44.8 46.4 3
2010s 41.8 41.1 43.6 4
2020s 40.7 40.7 40.7 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 21 Cameroon 42.2 compare
  2. 22 United States 41.8 compare
  3. 23 Bolivia 40.9 compare
  4. 25 Tanzania 40.5 compare
  5. 26 Peru 40.1 compare
  6. 27 Uruguay 40 compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is gini index in Malaysia?
Gini index in Malaysia was 40.7 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 gini index recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 49.1 in 1997.
What is the lowest gini index recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 40.7 in 2021.
How does Malaysia rank for gini index?
Malaysia ranks 24th out of 121 countries with data for 2021.
Is gini index rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. 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 Gini index. 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

Indicator
Gini index
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,305 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.