In 2022, ethnic Chinese households had the highest mean monthly household income in Malaysia, at around 10.66 thousand Malaysian ringgit. This was more than three thousand ringgit higher than Bumiputera households. Despite the implementation of affirmative action through Article 153 of the Malaysian constitution, the economic position of the Bumiputera vis-à-vis other ethnicities still left much room for improvement.
Historical policies, ethnicity, and the urban-rural divide
The Bumiputera make up the majority of the Malaysian population, yet have one of the lowest average monthly household incomes in Malaysia. This economic disparity could be explained by the effects of colonial policies that kept the Bumiputera largely in the countryside. This resulted in an urban-rural divide that was characterized by ethnicity, with the immigrant Chinese and Indian laborers concentrated in the urban centers, a demographic pattern that is still evident today.
There was a considerable difference in urban and rural household incomes in Malaysia, with urban household income being around 3.6 thousand ringgit more than rural households. This was largely due to the fact that wages in urban areas had to keep up with the higher cost of living there. This thus impacted the average monthly incomes of the largely rural-based Bumiputera and the largely urban-based ethnic Chinese. This visible wealth inequality has led to racial tensions in Malaysia, and it is still one of the problem in the country amidst a new government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was elected in 2022.
Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group
(in 1,000 Malaysian ringgit)
Characteristic
Monthly household income in thousand Malaysian ringgit
Adjust the presentation of the statistic and data points.
Share the statistic on social media channels or embed the statistic in your
website using "Embed Code", where available.
Cite this statistic and select one of the following formats: APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA & Bluebook.
Print the statistic including description and metadata.
Chart type
Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group
Share this statistic
You have no right to use this feature.
Make sure to contact us if you are interested in scientific citation.
You can upgrade your account to enable this functionality for all statistics.
This feature is not available with your current account.Request access
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Statistics Malaysia. (July 28, 2023). Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group (in 1,000 Malaysian ringgit) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/856659/malaysia-average-monthly-household-income-by-ethnic-group/
Statistics Malaysia. "Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group (in 1,000 Malaysian ringgit)." Chart. July 28, 2023. Statista. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/856659/malaysia-average-monthly-household-income-by-ethnic-group/
Statistics Malaysia. (2023). Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group (in 1,000 Malaysian ringgit). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 23, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/856659/malaysia-average-monthly-household-income-by-ethnic-group/
Statistics Malaysia. "Mean Monthly Household Income in Malaysia in 2022, by Ethnic Group (in 1,000 Malaysian Ringgit)." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/856659/malaysia-average-monthly-household-income-by-ethnic-group/
Statistics Malaysia, Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group (in 1,000 Malaysian ringgit) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/856659/malaysia-average-monthly-household-income-by-ethnic-group/ (last visited February 23, 2025)
Mean monthly household income in Malaysia in 2022, by ethnic group (in 1,000 Malaysian ringgit) [Graph], Statistics Malaysia, July 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/856659/malaysia-average-monthly-household-income-by-ethnic-group/
Profit from additional features with an Employee Account
Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites.
Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.