Unemployment rate in Malaysia
Malaysia: Unemployment rate was 3.76 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.76
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
123rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
4.64
in 2021
All-time low
2.45
in 1997
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Malaysia, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in Malaysia stood at 3.76.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and up 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Malaysia peaked at 4.64 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.45, in 1997.
That places Malaysia 123rd 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 in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.7 | — |
| 1992 | 3.71 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 4.11 | +10.8% |
| 1994 | 3.64 | -11.4% |
| 1995 | 3.15 | -13.5% |
| 1996 | 2.52 | -20.0% |
| 1997 | 2.45 | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 3.2 | +30.6% |
| 1999 | 3.43 | +7.2% |
| 2000 | 3 | -12.5% |
| 2001 | 3.53 | +17.7% |
| 2002 | 3.48 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 3.61 | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 3.54 | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 3.53 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 3.32 | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 3.31 | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 3.34 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 3.62 | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 3.32 | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 3.05 | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 3.04 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 3.14 | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 2.88 | -8.3% |
| 2015 | 3.1 | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 3.44 | +11.0% |
| 2017 | 3.41 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 3.3 | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 3.33 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 4.54 | +36.3% |
| 2021 | 4.64 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 3.93 | -15.3% |
| 2023 | 3.86 | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 3.85 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 3.76 | -2.1% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 3.76 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.63, 67% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 3.76 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.05, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.32 | 2.45 | 4.11 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.43 | 3 | 3.62 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2 | 2.88 | 3.44 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1 | 3.76 | 4.64 | 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 in Malaysia?
- Unemployment rate in Malaysia was 3.76 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.64 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.45 in 1997.
- How does Malaysia rank for unemployment rate?
- Malaysia ranks 123rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.4%. 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).