Malaysia Economic Intelligence Centre
Malaysia State Economy Dashboard
Compare the economic performance of Malaysia’s states and Federal Territories using official state-level statistics. Explore GDP, population, labour market conditions, household income, poverty, income inequality and inflation through one interactive dashboard.
Malaysia State Economy Dashboard
Indicator Guide
Select an indicator to view its explanation.
Select an indicator and measurement to display data.
About the Malaysia State Economy Dashboard
The Malaysia State Economy Dashboard is designed to help users compare economic conditions across Malaysia’s 13 states and 3 Federal Territories. Instead of checking separate datasets one by one, this dashboard brings key official indicators into a single interface for easier comparison, ranking and interpretation.
The dashboard is useful for business planning, market research, regional comparison, logistics analysis, investment screening, academic research and general economic monitoring. Users can review how a selected state performs over time or compare all states for a selected indicator and year.
This dashboard should be used as a statistical reference tool. It does not replace official DOSM publications, but it helps users explore the official data more conveniently.
How to Use the Dashboard
1. Choose the Mode
Single State mode lets you analyse one state or Federal Territory over time. This is useful when you want to study the economic trend of Johor, Selangor, Sabah, Sarawak, W.P. Kuala Lumpur or any other selected location.
Compare States mode ranks all states for the selected indicator. This is useful when you want to know which state has the highest GDP, the largest labour force, the highest unemployment rate, the strongest income level or the lowest poverty rate.
2. Select a State
In Single State mode, select the state you want to analyse. Choosing Malaysia shows the national-level figure where the dataset provides a Malaysia total or national reference value.
3. Select an Economic Indicator
The indicator menu allows you to choose the type of state-level data to review. Available indicators may include state GDP, population, labour market statistics, household income, poverty, income inequality and state-level inflation.
4. Select a Measurement
The measurement options change according to the selected indicator. For example, GDP may show value or growth, labour data may show labour force, employment, unemployment rate or participation rate, while household income may show median or mean income.
5. Choose the Year Range
Latest displays the most recent available record in the selected dataset. Last 10 Years gives a recent trend view. All Years displays the full available time series from the official dataset.
6. Select the Chart Type
The line chart is useful for viewing trends over time. The bar chart is useful for comparing values across states or periods. In Compare States mode, the dashboard uses a ranking-style bar chart to show relative performance more clearly.
How to Read the Summary Cards
The summary cards give a quick overview of the selected data. They help users understand the latest available figure, the highest and lowest recorded values, the average of the displayed records and the number of records currently included in the view.
In comparison mode, the cards also help identify the highest and lowest state for the selected indicator. This gives users an immediate sense of regional differences before reviewing the chart or ranking table in detail.
When interpreting these cards, remember that each indicator has its own meaning. A higher GDP or income value may indicate larger economic scale or stronger household earnings, while a higher unemployment rate or poverty rate may indicate weaker labour or household conditions.
How to Interpret the Chart
The interactive chart visualises the selected indicator. In Single State mode, it shows how the selected state changes over time. This helps users identify long-term growth, decline, volatility or recovery.
In Compare States mode, the chart compares states for the latest available period in the selected dataset. Longer bars represent higher values. However, “higher” is not always “better”. For example, higher household income is generally positive, but higher unemployment, poverty or inflation may indicate pressure on households or the labour market.
Use the chart together with the table and summary cards. The chart shows the visual pattern, while the table provides the exact figures.
How to Use the Ranking Table
The ranking table shows the selected data in a structured format. In Compare States mode, states are ranked based on the selected value. This helps users quickly identify leading and lagging states for a specific indicator.
The table can be searched and sorted. Use the search box to filter by state or year. Use the CSV download button to export the displayed data for spreadsheet analysis, internal reports or further research.
Ranking should always be interpreted in context. A state with a large GDP may also have a large population. A state with high household income may also have higher living costs. A state with low poverty may still have income inequality. No single indicator should be used alone to judge the full economic condition of a state.
Understanding the Indicators
State GDP
State GDP measures the economic output generated within a state. It is useful for comparing the size and structure of state economies. Larger GDP values usually indicate a larger economic base, but they should be considered together with population, income and employment indicators.
Population
Population data helps users understand the demographic scale of each state. It is important for market size estimation, labour supply analysis, consumer demand planning and infrastructure assessment.
Labour Market
Labour force, employment, unemployment and participation rate indicators show how people are engaged in the economy. A high labour force participation rate may indicate stronger workforce involvement, while a high unemployment rate may signal labour market weakness.
Household Income
Mean and median household income show household earning levels by state. Median income is often useful for understanding the typical household because it is less affected by very high-income households. Mean income can be higher when income distribution is uneven.
Poverty
Poverty indicators help users understand household vulnerability and living standard differences between states. A lower poverty rate generally indicates better household economic conditions, but it should be interpreted together with income, employment and cost-of-living indicators.
Income Inequality
The Gini coefficient measures income inequality. A higher Gini value indicates greater income inequality, while a lower value indicates a more even income distribution.
Inflation
State-level inflation measures price changes faced by households in different states. Higher inflation means prices are rising faster. Inflation should be interpreted carefully because it may vary by product group, state, month and household spending pattern.
Important Interpretation Notes
Some indicators are annual, some are quarterly and some are monthly. This means the latest available period may not be the same for every indicator. For example, GDP and household income are not updated as frequently as labour market or inflation data.
State comparisons should be made using the same indicator, measurement and period. Comparing one state’s GDP for one year with another state’s labour data for another period would not be meaningful.
For percentage indicators such as unemployment rate, poverty rate, inflation and Gini, the value represents a rate or index-based measure rather than an absolute number. For value indicators such as GDP, population or income, the unit should be read carefully.
Data Notice
This dashboard uses official datasets published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia through DOSM/OpenDOSM. Dataset availability, update frequency, field names and historical coverage may differ by indicator. Figures should be used with reference to the official methodology, definitions and publication notes provided by DOSM.