Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Malaysia

Malaysia: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.9% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
3.9%
Change on year
down 15.2%
World rank
126th
of 185 countries
All-time high
7.4%
in 1986
All-time low
0.5%
in 1991
Years of data
41
1970–2022

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Malaysia, 1970–2022

024681970199620221970: 5.1 %1980: 1.7 %1982: 3.4 %1983: 3.8 %1984: 5 %1985: 5.6 %1986: 7.4 %1987: 7.3 %1988: 6.9 %1989: 5.7 %1990: 4.5 %1991: 0.481 %1992: 3.7 %1993: 4.1 %1995: 3.1 %1996: 2.5 %1997: 2.4 %1998: 3.2 %1999: 3.4 %2000: 3 %2001: 3.5 %2002: 3.5 %2003: 3.6 %2004: 3.5 %2005: 3.5 %2007: 3.2 %2008: 3.3 %2009: 3.7 %2010: 3.3 %2011: 3.1 %2012: 3 %2013: 3.1 %2014: 2.9 %2015: 3.1 %2016: 3.4 %2017: 3.4 %2018: 3.3 %2019: 3.3 %2020: 4.5 %2021: 4.6 %2022: 3.9 %

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Malaysia stood at 3.9%.

The figure is down 15.2% on the previous year and up 28.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Malaysia peaked at 7.4% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1991.

Malaysia ranks 126th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.1% 5.1% 5.1% 1
1980s 5.2% 1.7% 7.4% 9
1990s 3.1% 0.5% 4.5% 9
2000s 3.4% 3.0% 3.7% 9
2010s 3.2% 2.9% 3.4% 10
2020s 4.3% 3.9% 4.6% 3

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 123 Trinidad and Tobago 4.0% compare
  2. 124 Ghana 4.0% compare
  3. 125 Ethiopia 3.9% compare
  4. 126 Netherlands 3.9% compare
  5. 126 Slovenia 3.9% compare
  6. 129 Germany 3.8% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Malaysia?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Malaysia was 3.9% in 2022, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 1986.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1991.
How does Malaysia rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Malaysia ranks 126th out of 185 countries with data for 2022.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.