Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Employment in industry (% of total employment) was 26.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia stood at 26.0%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia peaked at 34.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 25.9%, in 2021.
That places Malaysia 38th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 32.8% | — |
| 1992 | 33.1% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 33.5% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 33.6% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 33.7% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 33.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 34.9% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 33.0% | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 33.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 33.4% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 33.1% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 32.0% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 32.0% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 30.1% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 30.3% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 28.5% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 28.7% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 27.0% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 27.6% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 28.4% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 27.6% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 27.9% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 27.7% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 27.5% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 27.5% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 27.7% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 27.1% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 27.9% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 26.2% | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 25.9% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 26.1% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 26.0% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 26.0% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 26.0% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.4% | 32.8% | 34.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 30.5% | 27.0% | 33.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.7% | 27.1% | 28.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.0% | 25.9% | 26.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More work & labour data for Malaysia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2671 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2772 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2563 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6933 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 36,440 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,289 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,832 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 22,194 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 44,026 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia?
- Employment in industry (% of total employment) in Malaysia was 26.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 34.9% in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment in industry (% of total employment) recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.9% in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for employment in industry (% of total employment)?
- Malaysia ranks 38th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in industry (% of total employment) rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).