Male labor participation rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Male labor participation rate was 79.21 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
79.21
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
29th
of 186 countries
All-time high
79.35
in 2022
All-time low
76.22
in 1991
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Male labor participation rate in Malaysia, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 79.21 for male labor participation rate in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor participation rate in Malaysia peaked at 79.35 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 76.22, in 1991.
Malaysia ranks 29th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Male labor participation rate in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 76.3 | — |
| 1991 | 76.22 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 76.41 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 76.59 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 76.78 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 76.96 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 77.15 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 77.34 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 77.53 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 77.67 | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 77.67 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 77.52 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 77.3 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 77.09 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 76.92 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 76.79 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 76.73 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 76.75 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 76.83 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 76.97 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 77.12 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 77.25 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 77.56 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 77.86 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 78.15 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 78.2 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 77.82 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 77.71 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 78.07 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 78.44 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 78.05 | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 78.36 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 79.35 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 79.31 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 79.18 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 79.21 | +0.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 79.21 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 71.64, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 79.21 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 76.89 | 76.22 | 77.67 | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.06 | 76.73 | 77.67 | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.82 | 77.12 | 78.44 | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.91 | 78.05 | 79.35 | 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 male labor participation rate in Malaysia?
- Male labor participation rate in Malaysia was 79.21 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor participation rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 79.35 in 2022.
- What is the lowest male labor participation rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.22 in 1991.
- How does Malaysia rank for male labor participation rate?
- Malaysia ranks 29th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor participation rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Male labor participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).