Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Malaysia
Malaysia: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 0.1% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Malaysia, 1984–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 0.1% for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is down 48.2% on the previous year and down 94.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Malaysia peaked at 15.4% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2021.
Malaysia ranks 113th of 120 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.9% | 14.2% | 15.4% | 3 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 8.5% | 13.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 6.3% | 5.0% | 8.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.2% | 1.9% | 4 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4881 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3171 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0702 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4538 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Annual precipitation 3,150 millimeters (2025)
- Democracy 6 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Malaysia?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Malaysia was 0.1% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 15.4% in 1984.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
- Malaysia ranks 113th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 94.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $4.20 per day.