Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 74.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 74.6% for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia peaked at 74.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 67.8%, in 1991.
Malaysia ranks 71st of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 67.8% | — |
| 1992 | 68.2% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 68.6% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 68.9% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 69.3% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 69.7% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 70.0% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 70.2% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 70.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 70.5% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 70.7% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 70.9% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 71.1% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 71.4% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 71.7% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 71.9% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 72.3% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 72.6% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 72.6% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 72.7% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 72.9% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 72.9% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 73.1% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 73.2% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 73.4% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 73.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 73.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 74.0% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 74.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 74.2% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 74.3% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 74.4% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 74.5% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 74.6% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.2% | 67.8% | 70.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.6% | 70.5% | 72.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.3% | 72.7% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.3% | 74.0% | 74.6% | 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 wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia was 74.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 74.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.8% in 1991.
- How does Malaysia rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- Malaysia ranks 71st out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Wage and salaried workers (employees) are those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as "paid employment jobs," where the incumbents hold explicit (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work.