SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia

Malaysia: SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees was 16 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
16
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
56th
of 68 countries
All-time high
17
in 2019
All-time low
9.29
in 2011
Years of data
10
2011–2020

SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia, 2011–2020

0510152011201520202011: 9.32012: 9.82013: 10.42014: 11.32015: 12.12016: 142017: 152018: 162019: 172020: 16

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2020, sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia stood at 16.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.9% on the previous year and up 72.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia peaked at 17 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 9.29, in 2011.

That places Malaysia 56th out of 68 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Malaysia, 2011 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2011 9.29
2012 9.83 +5.8%
2013 10.44 +6.2%
2014 11.27 +8.0%
2015 12.08 +7.2%
2016 14 +15.9%
2017 15 +7.1%
2018 16 +6.7%
2019 17 +6.2%
2020 16 -5.9%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 16 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.09, 17% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 16 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,983, 0% of the median. (10 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 12.77 9.29 17 9
2020s 16 16 16 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 53 Ghana 17.3 compare
  2. 54 Spain 17 compare
  3. 55 France 16.19 compare
  4. 57 Peru 11.81 compare
  5. 58 Italy 10.59 compare
  6. 59 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.1 compare

See the full ranking of 68 places →

More work & labour data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia?
Sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia was 16 in 2020, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 17 in 2019.
What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 9.29 in 2011.
How does Malaysia rank for sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees?
Malaysia ranks 56th out of 68 countries with data for 2020.
Is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 72.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).

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SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/sdg-indicator-8-5-1-average-hourly-earnings-of-employees-previous-ilo-definition-icls13/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
68 places, 879 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed

Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. This indicator presents data by sex on employees' average hourly earnings. The concept of earnings, as applied in wage statistics, relates to gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. Data are also disaggregated by occupation. Statistics on average hourly earnings by sex are the basis for the calculation of the gender pay gap. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.