Malaysia: Export unit value index (2015 = 100)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Malaysia's export unit value index (2015 = 100) rose 10.3 on 2024 (from 119.1 to 129.4).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +1.12 and a typical year strayed about 9.14 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 19.4 in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 24.5 in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 3.79 a year. A straight line explains 87% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2025, Malaysia had the 119th highest value of the 202 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 2025 ranking

• West Bank and Gaza — 117th of 202: 131
• Costa Rica — 118th of 202: 129.9
• Bahamas, The — 119th of 202: 129.4
• Malawi — 121st of 202: 128.8
• Gabon — 122nd of 202: 128.5
• Saudi Arabia — 123rd of 202: 128.3

What this measures

Export unit value indices come from UNCTAD's trade database. Unit value indices are based on data reported by countries that demonstrate consistency under UNCTAD quality controls, supplemented by UNCTAD’s estimates using the previous year’s trade values at the Standard International Trade Classification three-digit level as weights. To improve data coverage, especially for the latest periods, UNCTAD constructs a set of average prices indexes at the three-digit product classification of the Standard International Trade Classification revision 3 using UNCTAD’s Commodity Price Statistics, interna¬tional and national sources, and UNCTAD secretariat estimates. This indicator is an index series where 2015=100.

All 46 values

Export unit value index (2015 = 100) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 222.6 (2025)
• Australia — 166 (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 150.4 (2025)
• Cambodia — 114.4 (2025)
• China — 95.7 (2025)
• Fiji — 127.3 (2025)
• French Polynesia — 95.7 (2025)
• Guam — 126.5 (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 137.9 (2025)
• Indonesia — 145.7 (2025)
• Japan

More private sector & trade data for Malaysia

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 151.73% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$340.44 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$376.04 billion (2025)
• Agricultural raw materials imports (% of merchandise imports) — 1.29% (2025)
• Food imports (% of merchandise imports) — 8.26% (2025)
• Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — 12.02% (2025)
• Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) — 71.96% (2025)
• Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports) — 4.59% (2025)
• Agricultural raw materials exports (% of merchandise exports) — 1.09% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Malaysia's export unit value index (2015 = 100)?

129.4 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is up 140.07% from 53.9 in 1980 (1.97% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 132.7 in 2011 and the lowest 43.9 in 1986.

How does Malaysia rank?

119th highest of 202 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in export unit value index (2015 = 100) unusual for Malaysia?

In 2025, Malaysia's export unit value index (2015 = 100) rose 10.3 on 2024 (from 119.1 to 129.4). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +1.12 and a typical year strayed about 9.14 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TX.UVI.MRCH.XD.WD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Handbook of Statistics and data files., UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), uri: http://unctadstat.unctad.org 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.