Total natural resource rents in Malaysia

Malaysia: Total natural resource rents was 6.9% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
6.9%
Change on year
up 52.4%
World rank
63rd
of 211 countries
All-time high
38.6%
in 1979
All-time low
4.5%
in 2020
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Total natural resource rents in Malaysia, 1970–2021

010203040197019952021

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2021, total natural resource rents in Malaysia stood at 6.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 52.4% on the previous year and down 30.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Malaysia peaked at 38.6% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2020.

Malaysia ranks 63rd of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 27.5% 17.0% 38.6% 10
1980s 27.4% 21.3% 37.8% 10
1990s 15.9% 10.1% 26.9% 10
2000s 12.0% 9.7% 13.9% 10
2010s 7.7% 5.2% 9.9% 10
2020s 5.7% 4.5% 6.9% 2

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 60 Uganda 7.5% compare
  2. 61 South Africa 7.3% compare
  3. 62 Armenia 7.1% compare
  4. 64 Ecuador 6.7% compare
  5. 65 Tanzania 6.7% compare
  6. 66 Niger 6.4% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resource rents in Malaysia?
Total natural resource rents in Malaysia was 6.9% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 38.6% in 1979.
What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2020.
How does Malaysia rank for total natural resource rents?
Malaysia ranks 63rd out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.