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.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 15.4% | — |
| 1987 | 15.0% | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 14.2% | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 13.7% | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 13.5% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 8.5% | -37.2% |
| 2003 | 8.4% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 5.0% | -41.0% |
| 2008 | 5.4% | +9.3% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -65.3% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | -68.4% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | -33.1% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -51.7% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -48.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 0.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.2%, 2% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 0.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.6%, 6% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5869 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1487 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8098 (2050)
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.