Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia

Malaysia: Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of was 24.8% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
24.8%
Change on year
up 5.8%
World rank
68th
of 115 countries
All-time high
109.1%
in 2001
All-time low
23.5%
in 2018
Years of data
16
2000–2019

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia, 2000–2019

204060801002000200920192000: 80.92001: 109.12002: 97.62003: 89.32004: 68.32006: 57.62007: 47.92009: 59.52010: 45.52011: 58.92012: 44.12013: 44.12016: 25.52017: 24.52018: 23.52019: 24.8

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia is 24.8%, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.8% on the previous year and down 58.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia peaked at 109.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 23.5%, in 2018.

That places Malaysia 68th out of 115 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita in Malaysia, 2000 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2000 80.9%
2001 109.1% +34.9%
2002 97.6% -10.5%
2003 89.3% -8.5%
2004 68.3% -23.6%
2006 57.6% -15.6%
2007 47.9% -16.8%
2009 59.5% +24.2%
2010 45.5% -23.6%
2011 58.9% +29.5%
2012 44.1% -25.1%
2013 44.1% +0.0%
2016 25.5% -42.2%
2017 24.5% -4.2%
2018 23.5% -4.0%
2019 24.8% +5.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 76.3% 47.9% 109.1% 8
2010s 36.4% 23.5% 58.9% 8

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 65 Mexico 25.4% compare
  2. 66 Singapore 25.2% compare
  3. 67 Iran, Islamic Republic of 24.9% compare
  4. 69 Italy 24.5% compare
  5. 70 Nepal 24.2% compare
  6. 71 Slovenia 24.1% compare

See the full ranking of 115 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia?
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia was 24.8% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 109.1% in 2001.
What is the lowest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 23.5% in 2018.
How does Malaysia rank for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of?
Malaysia ranks 68th out of 115 countries with data for 2019.
Is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-funding-per-tertiary-student-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-per-capita/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
115 places, 1,387 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central, current and capital) initial government funding of education per student, which includes transfers paid (such as scholarships to students), but excludes transfers received, in this case international transfers to government for education (when foreign donors provide education sector budget support or other support integrated in the government budget). Calculation Method: Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure (current and capital) on a given level of education (primary, secondary, etc) minus international transfers to government for education, divided by the number of student enrolled at that level of education. This is then expressed as a share of GDP per capita. Limitations: In some instances data on total government expenditure on education refers only to the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries which may also spend a part of their budget on educational activities. There are also cases where it may not be possible to separate international transfers to government from general government expenditure on education, in which cases they have not been subtracted in the formula. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/