Real interest rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Real interest rate was 5.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Malaysia, 1969–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 5.3% for real interest rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 18.9% on the previous year and up 60.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Malaysia peaked at 23.0% in 1986 and was at its lowest, -6.8%, in 1973.
Malaysia ranks 66th of 148 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 3.1% | -6.8% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.6% | 2.5% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 3.4% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | -3.9% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | -2.1% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | -2.2% | 7.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More financial sector data for Malaysia
- Domestic credit to private sector 117.9% (2025)
- Net domestic credit 2.96 trillion current LCU (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports 4.45 (2024)
- Net foreign assets 289.80 billion current LCU (2025)
- Domestic credit to private sector by banks 117.9% (2025)
- Claims on central government, etc. 17.6% (2025)
- Monetary Sector credit to private sector 117.9% (2025)
- Broad money 120.6% (2025)
- Official exchange rate 4.28 LCU per US$, period average (2025)
- Net migration 166,615 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Malaysia?
- Real interest rate in Malaysia was 5.3% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.0% in 1986.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.8% in 1973.
- How does Malaysia rank for real interest rate?
- Malaysia ranks 66th out of 148 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 57 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.