Malaysia2021 Economic Complexity Trade : 1.09, Rank 24 of 131
2021 Economic Complexity Technology : 0.59, Rank 38 of 96
2021 Economic Complexity Research : -0.033, Rank 63 of 140
2021 Product Exports | Imports: $333B | $246B, 21 of 226 | 25 of 226
2021 Per Capita Product Exports | Imports: $10.2k | $7.5k, 66 of 219 | 73 of 219
Overview In 2021, Malaysia was the number 37 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 21 in total exports, the number 25 in total imports, the number 63 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 24 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) .
Exports The top exports of Malaysia are Integrated Circuits ($71B), Refined Petroleum ($29.3B), Palm Oil ($15B), Rubber Apparel ($13.3B), and Petroleum Gas ($10.7B), exporting mostly to Singapore ($49.6B), China ($47.9B), United States ($42.9B), Hong Kong ($19.2B), and Japan ($19B).
In 2021, Malaysia was the world's biggest exporter of Rubber Apparel ($13.3B), Oscilloscopes ($5.34B), Other Vegetable Oils ($1.63B), Copper Powder ($828M), and Platinum Clad Metals ($321M)
Imports The top imports of Malaysia are Integrated Circuits ($34.4B), Refined Petroleum ($18.7B), Crude Petroleum ($4.92B), Coal Briquettes ($4.36B), and Gold ($4.01B), importing mostly from China ($70.7B), Singapore ($27.7B), Japan ($15B), United States ($14.8B), and Chinese Taipei ($13.8B).
Location Malaysia borders Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand by land and Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam by sea.
September, 2020
Overview In September 2020 Malaysia exported MYR88.9B and imported MYR67B, resulting in a positive trade balance of MYR22B. Between September 2019 and September 2020 the exports of Malaysia have increased by MYR11.2B (14.4%) from MYR77.7B to MYR88.9B, while imports decreased by MYR-2.41B (-3.48%) from MYR69.4B to MYR67B.
Trade In September 2020, the top exports of Malaysia were Integrated Circuits (MYR21.3B), Palm Oil (MYR3.8B), Rubber Apparel (MYR3.78B), Refined Petroleum (MYR3.08B), and Semiconductor Devices (MYR2.74B). In September 2020 the top imports of Malaysia were Integrated Circuits (MYR11.8B), Refined Petroleum (MYR3.74B), Telephones (MYR1.54B), Semiconductor Devices (MYR1.24B), and Gold (MYR1.06B).
Destinations In September 2020, Malaysia exported mostly to China (MYR15.6B), Singapore (MYR12.2B), United States (MYR10.3B), Hong Kong (MYR6.71B), and Japan (MYR4.76B), and imported mostly from China (MYR15.3B), Singapore (MYR6.51B), United States (MYR5.42B), Japan (MYR5.4B), and Chinese Taipei (MYR5.14B).
Growth In September 2020, the increase in Malaysia's year-by-year exports was explained primarily by an increase in exports to China (MYR4.71B or 43.4%), United States (MYR2.1B or 25.5%), and Hong Kong (MYR1.64B or 32.4%), and product exports increase in Integrated Circuits (MYR7.47B or 54.1%), Rubber Apparel (MYR2.32B or 159%), and Palm Oil (MYR1.04B or 37.7%). In September 2020, the decrease in Malaysia's year-by-year imports was explained primarily by an decrease in imports from Singapore (MYR-1.19B or -15.5%), South Korea (MYR-759M or -20.9%), and Thailand (MYR-413M or -11.7%), and product imports decrease in Refined Petroleum (MYR-2.48B or -39.8%), Crude Petroleum (MYR-1.42B or -63.2%), and Gas Turbines (MYR-396M or -72.3%).
EXPORT GROWTH (September 2019 - September 2020): MYR11.2B, (14.4%)
IMPORT GROWTH (September 2019 - September 2020): MYR-2.41B, (-3.48%)
MAIN DESTINATION (September 2020): China, MYR15.6B
This section shows exports and imports data at subnational level for Malaysia. Click any date in the line plot, or any product, destination or origin country to explore the exports or imports behavior of Malaysia over time.
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Top Import (2021): Integrated Circuits, $34.4B
Top Origin (2021): China, $70.7B
In 2021, Malaysia imported $246B, making it the number 25 trade destination in the world. During the last five reported years the imports of Malaysia changed by $72.4B from $173B in 2016 to $246B in 2021.
The most recent imports of Malaysia are led by Integrated Circuits ($34.4B), Refined Petroleum ($18.7B), Crude Petroleum ($4.92B), Coal Briquettes ($4.36B), and Gold ($4.01B). The most common import partners for Malaysia are China ($70.7B), Singapore ($27.7B), Japan ($15B), United States ($14.8B), and Chinese Taipei ($13.8B).
Malaysia Exports Services (2019): $37.6B
Malaysia Imports Services (2019): $42.9B
In 2019, Malaysia exported $37.6B worth of services. The top services exported by Malaysia in 2019 were Personal travel ($17.8B), Other business services ($7.06B), Transportation ($5.23B), Computer and information services ($2.99B), and Business travel ($1.97B).
The top services imported by Malaysia in 2019 were Transportation ($11.5B), Personal travel ($10.1B), Other business services ($7.92B), Computer and information services ($3.53B), and Insurance services ($2.34B).
Malaysia has a high level of specialization in Copper Powder (31.7), Rubber Apparel (31.2), Platinum Clad Metals (25.3), Other Vegetable Oils (19.6), and Palm Oil (18.5). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Malaysia observed and expected exports in each product.
The highest complexity exports of Malaysia according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Chemical elements doped for use in electronics, in the form of discs,... (1.94), Machinery and mechanical appliances; having individual functions, n.e.c. in this chapter (1.87), Photographic film in rolls, sensitised, unexposed, of any material other than paper,... (1.87), Discs, tapes, solid-state non-volatile storage devices, smart cards and other media for... (1.79), and Instruments, apparatus for measuring, checking electrical quantities not meters of heading no.... (1.78). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.
The top export opportunities for Malaysia according to the relatedness index, were Non-Petroleum Gas (0.22), Nickel Mattes (0.22), Cyclic Hydrocarbons (0.22), Crude Petroleum (0.22), and Aluminium Ore (0.22). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Malaysia is not specialized in.
The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products a country currently specializes in.
The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk vs strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower greenhouse emissions.
During the last 20 years Malaysia's economy has become relatively more complex, moving from the 38th to the 24th position in the ECI rank.
These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.
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