Income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia

Malaysia: Income share held by highest 20% was 46.9% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
46.9%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
26th
of 121 countries
All-time high
54.3%
in 1997
All-time low
46.9%
in 2021
Years of data
14
1984–2021

Income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia, 1984–2021

02040601984200220211984: 53.81987: 52.71989: 521992: 53.11995: 53.81997: 54.32003: 51.72006: 50.32008: 50.82011: 49.22013: 47.72015: 47.32018: 47.32021: 46.9

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

Malaysia recorded 46.9% for income share held by highest 20% in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia peaked at 54.3% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 46.9%, in 2021.

That places Malaysia 26th out of 121 countries with data for 2021, putting it 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 52.8% 52.0% 53.8% 3
1990s 53.7% 53.1% 54.3% 3
2000s 50.9% 50.3% 51.7% 3
2010s 47.9% 47.3% 49.2% 4
2020s 46.9% 46.9% 46.9% 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 23 Rwanda 47.6% compare
  2. 24 United States 47.1% compare
  3. 25 Morocco 47.0% compare
  4. 26 Philippines 46.9% compare
  5. 28 Bolivia 46.7% compare
  6. 29 Belize 46.3% compare
  7. 29 Kenya 46.3% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia?
Income share held by highest 20% in Malaysia was 46.9% 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 income share held by highest 20% recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 54.3% in 1997.
What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 46.9% in 2021.
How does Malaysia rank for income share held by highest 20%?
Malaysia ranks 26th out of 121 countries with data for 2021.
Is income share held by highest 20% rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. 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 Income share held by highest 20%. 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
Income share held by highest 20%
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

Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.