Malaysia: Expense (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Malaysia's expense (% of GDP) fell 0.89 percentage points on 2022 (from 17.9% to 17.01%).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2022), the average change was −0.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.46 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.23 percentage points in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.44 percentage points in 2010. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Malaysia had the 72nd highest value of the 80 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Malaysia in the 2023 ranking

• Côte d'Ivoire — 68th of 80: 17.88%
• Kazakhstan — 69th of 80: 17.45%
• Singapore — 70th of 80: 17.11%
• Philippines — 72nd of 80: 16.88%
• Nicaragua — 73rd of 80: 16.28%
• Switzerland — 74th of 80: 16.11%

What this measures

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 28 values

Expense (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Australia — 27.58% (2022)
• Cambodia — 12.95% (2023)
• Fiji — 27.76% (2023)
• Japan — 20.06% (2022)
• Kiribati — 83.68% (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 28.32% (2023)
• Lao PDR — 10.32% (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 19.59% (2023)
• Marshall Islands — 59.44% (2020)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 23.43% (2020)
• Mongolia — 31.7% (2021)
• Myanmar — 13.78% (2019)

More public sector data for Malaysia

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 4.93 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 21.13 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.04% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 7 million (2024)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.43% (2025)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 0.73 (2023)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 136,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.81% (2020)
• Central government debt, total (current LCU) — 1.25 trillion (2024)
• Central government debt, total (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Malaysia's expense (% of GDP)?

17.01% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1996?

It is down 1.68 percentage points from 18.69% in 1996. The highest value was 21.67% in 2009 and the lowest 15.83% in 2017.

How does Malaysia rank?

72nd highest of 80 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in expense (% of GDP) unusual for Malaysia?

In 2023, Malaysia's expense (% of GDP) fell 0.89 percentage points on 2022 (from 17.9% to 17.01%). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2022), the average change was −0.03 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.46 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF); World Development Indicators, World Bank (WB); National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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