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MacroMalaysia

Unemployment rate in Malaysia

How hard is it to have a job there?

Malaysia's unemployment rate is 3.76 % — #40 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

3.76%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt)

Unemployment rate in Malaysia over time

4.64 %3.76 %2.88 %4.64 % · 20212.88 % · 20142000: 3.00 %2001: 3.53 %2002: 3.48 %2003: 3.61 %2004: 3.54 %2005: 3.53 %2006: 3.32 %2007: 3.31 %2008: 3.34 %2009: 3.62 %2010: 3.32 %2011: 3.05 %2012: 3.04 %2013: 3.14 %2014: 2.88 %2015: 3.10 %2016: 3.44 %2017: 3.41 %2018: 3.30 %2019: 3.33 %2020: 4.54 %2021: 4.64 %2022: 3.93 %2023: 3.86 %2024: 3.85 %2025: 3.76 %2000201220253.76 %
26 official observations, 2000 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#40 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
68 %
84 of 124 countries
Latest move
▼ 0.08 pp
since 2024
Below its peak
0.88 pp
peak 4.64 % in 2021
Full series
▲ 0.76 pp
since 2000

In Asia: #18 of 36vs median 5.25 %: −1.49 pp (better)

Among 124 countries

6 of 124 countries between 0.78 % and 1.53 %6 of 124 countries between 1.53 % and 2.28 %12 of 124 countries between 2.28 % and 3.03 %16 of 124 countries between 3.03 % and 3.78 %7 of 124 countries between 3.78 % and 4.53 %15 of 124 countries between 4.53 % and 5.28 %14 of 124 countries between 5.28 % and 6.02 %7 of 124 countries between 6.02 % and 6.77 %6 of 124 countries between 6.77 % and 7.52 %2 of 124 countries between 7.52 % and 8.27 %10 of 124 countries between 8.27 % and 9.02 %3 of 124 countries between 9.02 % and 9.77 %3 of 124 countries between 9.77 % and 10.52 %2 of 124 countries between 10.52 % and 11.27 %3 of 124 countries between 11.27 % and 12.02 %1 of 124 countries between 12.02 % and 12.77 %1 of 124 countries between 12.77 % and 13.51 %2 of 124 countries between 13.51 % and 14.26 %1 of 124 countries between 14.26 % and 15.01 %2 of 124 countries between 15.01 % and 15.76 %1 of 124 countries between 16.51 % and 17.26 %4 of 124 countries between 18.01 % and 18.76 %median 5.23 %Malaysia: ahead of 68 % of the 124 countries with a published unemploymentMalaysia 3.76 %0.78 %18.76 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 3.30 % and 8.30 %. Malaysia is ahead of 68 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryUnemploymentvs Malaysia
38 Bulgaria3.54 %−0.23 pp
39 Germany3.71 %−0.05 pp
40 Malaysia3.76 %—
41 Bangladesh3.78 %+0.01 pp
42 Netherlands3.87 %+0.11 pp

Unemployment, share of the labour force (World Bank / ILO estimate).

How to read this figure

Share of the labour force without work but actively seeking it (World Bank / ILO harmonised estimate). People outside the labour force — students, carers, the discouraged — are not counted.

Next, about Malaysia

GDP growthGDP per capita
Unemployment rate, all countries ranked →Compare Malaysia with another country →Everything about Malaysia →
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