Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia

Malaysia: Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) was 66.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
66.5%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
36th
of 178 countries
All-time high
66.5%
in 2022
All-time low
54.1%
in 1970
Years of data
40
1970–2022

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia, 1970–2022

02040601970199620221970: 54.11980: 56.41982: 62.71983: 63.21984: 621985: 621986: 61.21987: 61.71988: 61.91989: 62.41990: 63.51991: 55.41992: 63.51993: 63.81995: 62.71996: 64.61997: 641998: 62.31999: 62.12000: 63.12001: 62.62002: 62.12003: 62.92004: 62.12005: 612007: 61.22008: 60.62010: 61.32011: 62.52012: 63.62013: 65.22014: 65.62015: 65.82016: 65.42017: 65.72018: 662019: 66.42020: 65.32021: 65.42022: 66.5

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2022, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia stood at 66.5%. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.

The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 4.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia peaked at 66.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 54.1%, in 1970.

Malaysia ranks 36th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in Malaysia, 1970 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1970 54.1%
1980 56.4% +4.2%
1982 62.7% +11.1%
1983 63.2% +0.8%
1984 62.0% -1.9%
1985 62.0% +0.1%
1986 61.2% -1.3%
1987 61.7% +0.8%
1988 61.9% +0.4%
1989 62.4% +0.7%
1990 63.5% +1.8%
1991 55.4% -12.9%
1992 63.5% +14.6%
1993 63.8% +0.5%
1995 62.7% -1.7%
1996 64.6% +3.1%
1997 64.0% -1.0%
1998 62.3% -2.7%
1999 62.1% -0.3%
2000 63.1% +1.7%
2001 62.6% -0.8%
2002 62.1% -0.8%
2003 62.9% +1.2%
2004 62.1% -1.3%
2005 61.0% -1.7%
2007 61.2% +0.3%
2008 60.6% -1.1%
2010 61.3% +1.2%
2011 62.5% +1.9%
2012 63.6% +1.8%
2013 65.2% +2.5%
2014 65.6% +0.5%
2015 65.8% +0.3%
2016 65.4% -0.6%
2017 65.7% +0.5%
2018 66.0% +0.5%
2019 66.4% +0.6%
2020 65.3% -1.7%
2021 65.4% +0.2%
2022 66.5% +1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 54.1% 54.1% 54.1% 1
1980s 61.5% 56.4% 63.2% 9
1990s 62.4% 55.4% 64.6% 9
2000s 62.0% 60.6% 63.1% 8
2010s 64.8% 61.3% 66.4% 10
2020s 65.7% 65.3% 66.5% 3

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 33 New Zealand 66.8% compare
  2. 34 Thailand 66.6% compare
  3. 35 Angola 66.6% compare
  4. 37 Netherlands 66.0% compare
  5. 38 Palau 65.7% compare
  6. 39 Singapore 65.7% compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

More work & labour data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia?
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia was 66.5% in 2022, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 66.5% in 2022.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 54.1% in 1970.
How does Malaysia rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%)?
Malaysia ranks 36th out of 178 countries with data for 2022.
Is employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-15-total-percent-national-estimate/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
209 places, 4,960 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.