Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia

Malaysia: Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita was 60.6% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
60.6%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
24th
of 44 countries
All-time high
60.6%
in 2011
All-time low
38.4%
in 1975
Years of data
37
1975–2011

Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia, 1975–2011

02040601975199320111975: 38.4 %1976: 39.5 %1977: 39 %1978: 39.2 %1979: 39.6 %1980: 44.1 %1981: 45.7 %1982: 47.3 %1983: 48.1 %1984: 48.3 %1985: 48.8 %1986: 49.7 %1987: 49.5 %1988: 49.4 %1989: 49.5 %1990: 50.6 %1991: 50.4 %1992: 50.2 %1993: 50.4 %1994: 50.4 %1995: 50.2 %1996: 50 %1997: 50.1 %1998: 50.5 %1999: 50.9 %2000: 50.3 %2001: 51.9 %2002: 53.6 %2003: 54.1 %2004: 55.9 %2005: 56.1 %2006: 56 %2007: 57.5 %2008: 57.8 %2009: 59.8 %2010: 59.1 %2011: 60.6 %

Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2011, share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia stood at 60.6%. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 16.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia peaked at 60.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 38.4%, in 1975.

That places Malaysia 24th out of 44 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia, 1975 to 2011.
Year % Change
1975 38.4%
1976 39.5% +2.9%
1977 39.0% -1.3%
1978 39.2% +0.5%
1979 39.6% +1.0%
1980 44.1% +11.4%
1981 45.7% +3.6%
1982 47.3% +3.5%
1983 48.1% +1.7%
1984 48.3% +0.4%
1985 48.8% +1.0%
1986 49.7% +1.8%
1987 49.5% -0.4%
1988 49.4% -0.2%
1989 49.5% +0.2%
1990 50.6% +2.2%
1991 50.4% -0.4%
1992 50.2% -0.4%
1993 50.4% +0.4%
1994 50.4% +0.0%
1995 50.2% -0.4%
1996 50.0% -0.4%
1997 50.1% +0.2%
1998 50.5% +0.8%
1999 50.9% +0.8%
2000 50.3% -1.2%
2001 51.9% +3.2%
2002 53.6% +3.3%
2003 54.1% +0.9%
2004 55.9% +3.3%
2005 56.1% +0.4%
2006 56.0% -0.2%
2007 57.5% +2.7%
2008 57.8% +0.5%
2009 59.8% +3.5%
2010 59.1% -1.2%
2011 60.6% +2.5%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 60.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.4%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 60.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 60.6%, 1.0× the median. (9 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 39.1% 38.4% 39.6% 5
1980s 48.0% 44.1% 49.7% 10
1990s 50.4% 50.0% 50.9% 10
2000s 55.3% 50.3% 59.8% 10
2010s 59.9% 59.1% 60.6% 2

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 21 Germany 64.0% compare
  2. 22 South Africa 62.6% compare
  3. 23 Colombia 61.0% compare
  4. 25 Peru 60.4% compare
  5. 26 Mexico 60.2% compare
  6. 27 Taiwan 59.7% compare

See the full ranking of 44 places →

More work & labour data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia?
Share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Malaysia was 60.6% in 2011, according to Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 60.6% in 2011.
What is the lowest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 38.4% in 1975.
How does Malaysia rank for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita?
Malaysia ranks 24th out of 44 countries with data for 2011.
Is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/gdp-vs-services-employment/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita
Unit
%
Source
Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
44 places, 2,481 data points, 1801–2015
Last refreshed

The vertical axis shows historical estimates of the employment share in the service sector. The horizontal axis shows GDP per capita, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.