Contact Contacts
Employment in services — all countries

Employment in services — Malaysia

Employment in services in Malaysia in 2025 — 64.9%. Ranked 79 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has risen by 16.6 pp.

2025 64.9% +0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank 79of 182
Period maximum 64.9%2025
Period minimum 48.3%1991

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Employment in services — Malaysia, 1991–2025455055606519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 48.3%1992: 48.6%1993: 48.8%1994: 49.2%1995: 49.6%1996: 50.3%1997: 50.8%1998: 51.3%1999: 51.8%2000: 51.3%2001: 51.8%2002: 53.1%2003: 53.7%2004: 55.3%2005: 55.6%2006: 55.1%2007: 56.8%2008: 57.4%2009: 59.5%2010: 59.1%2011: 59.7%2012: 59.2%2013: 59.4%2014: 59.7%2015: 60%2016: 61.1%2017: 61%2018: 62.3%2019: 61.9%2020: 63.4%2021: 63.8%2022: 63.9%2023: 64.3%2024: 64.6%2025: 64.9%
Change over the period: +16.6 pp Annual average: 0.49 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Malaysia

Malaysia 64.9%
World 50.6%
East Asia & Pacific 49.9%
South-Eastern Asia computed 49.5%
Upper-middle-income countries computed 52.9%
Employment in services — Malaysia, by year Malaysia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 64.9 +0.3 pp
2024 64.6 +0.3 pp
2023 64.3 +0.3 pp
2022 63.9 +0.1 pp
2021 63.8 +0.4 pp
2020 63.4 +1.5 pp
2019 61.9 −0.4 pp
2018 62.3 +1.3 pp
2017 61 −0.2 pp
2016 61.1 +1.1 pp
2015 60 +0.3 pp
2014 59.7 +0.3 pp
2013 59.4 +0.2 pp
2012 59.2 −0.5 pp
2011 59.7 +0.6 pp
2010 59.1 −0.4 pp
2009 59.5 +2.1 pp
2008 57.4 +0.6 pp
2007 56.8 +1.7 pp
2006 55.1 −0.5 pp
2005 55.6 +0.3 pp
2004 55.3 +1.6 pp
2003 53.7 +0.6 pp
2002 53.1 +1.3 pp
2001 51.8 +0.5 pp
2000 51.3 −0.5 pp
1999 51.8 +0.5 pp
1998 51.3 +0.5 pp
1997 50.8 +0.5 pp
1996 50.3 +0.7 pp
1995 49.6 +0.4 pp
1994 49.2 +0.4 pp
1993 48.8 +0.2 pp
1992 48.6 +0.3 pp
1991 48.3 —

South-Eastern Asia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

SG Singapore 85.9 BN Brunei Darussalam 78.4 MY Malaysia 64.9 PH Philippines 59.5 TL Timor-Leste 50.2 ID Indonesia 50.2 TH Thailand 49.2 VN Vietnam 40.1 KH Cambodia 37.7 MM Myanmar 36.9 LA Laos 24
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The share of total employment in the service sector: trade, transport, communications, finance, business services, public administration, education, health care. In high-income countries it exceeds 70–80%; the rise of this share is the main line of structural change in labor markets over the past half century.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.

Other indicators for Malaysia

Economy Services share of GDP

The contribution of trade, transport, finance, IT and public administration to value added.

Malaysia by year Labor Employment in industry

The share of workers employed in mining, manufacturing, utilities and construction.

Malaysia by year Labor Employment in agriculture

The share of workers employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

Malaysia by year Labor Unemployment rate (IMF)

Unemployment as estimated by the IMF — with a forecast, for countries with reliable labor market statistics.

Malaysia by year Labor Unemployment rate

The share of the labor force that is looking for work and available to start.

Malaysia by year Labor Youth unemployment

The unemployment rate at ages 15–24 — almost always two to three times the overall rate.

Malaysia by year
All indicators for Malaysia