Unemployment rate for young people in Malaysia
Malaysia: Unemployment rate for young people was 11.95 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
11.95
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
98th
of 186 countries
All-time high
12.37
in 2020
All-time low
7.79
in 1997
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate for young people in Malaysia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 11.95 for unemployment rate for young people in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in Malaysia peaked at 12.37 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 7.79, in 1997.
That places Malaysia 98th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate for young people in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.81 | — |
| 1992 | 10.99 | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 12.35 | +12.4% |
| 1994 | 11.1 | -10.2% |
| 1995 | 9.75 | -12.1% |
| 1996 | 7.83 | -19.6% |
| 1997 | 7.79 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 10.09 | +29.6% |
| 1999 | 10.86 | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 9.6 | -11.6% |
| 2001 | 11.4 | +18.7% |
| 2002 | 11.19 | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 11.49 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 11.36 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 11.32 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 10.68 | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 10.76 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 10.59 | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 11.23 | +6.1% |
| 2010 | 10.87 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 9.82 | -9.7% |
| 2012 | 10.14 | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 10.07 | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 9.77 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 10.98 | +12.4% |
| 2016 | 10.84 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 11.28 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 11.39 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 11.21 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 12.37 | +10.3% |
| 2021 | 11.58 | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 12.16 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 12.15 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 12.25 | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 11.95 | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.17 | 7.79 | 12.35 | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.96 | 9.6 | 11.49 | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.64 | 9.77 | 11.39 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.08 | 11.58 | 12.37 | 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 unemployment rate for young people in Malaysia?
- Unemployment rate for young people in Malaysia was 11.95 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.37 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.79 in 1997.
- How does Malaysia rank for unemployment rate for young people?
- Malaysia ranks 98th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate for young people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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