Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia
Malaysia: Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public was 5.6% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia is 5.6%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 100.9% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia peaked at 41.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2008.
That places Malaysia 80th out of 124 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 21.7% | — |
| 1999 | 26.3% | +21.0% |
| 2000 | 34.8% | +32.4% |
| 2001 | 39.8% | +14.3% |
| 2002 | 41.7% | +4.8% |
| 2003 | 34.2% | -18.0% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | -61.7% |
| 2007 | 17.6% | +34.4% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -96.8% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | +2645.7% |
| 2011 | 5.6% | -63.6% |
| 2012 | 10.5% | +85.1% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | -8.7% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | -39.7% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 8.1% | +43.9% |
| 2017 | 7.9% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 6.6% | -16.1% |
| 2019 | 7.6% | +14.8% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | -63.5% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | +100.9% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 5.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.3%, 1.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 5.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10.4%, 54% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +2645.7% | 0.6% | 15.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.0% | 21.7% | 26.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 24.7% | 0.6% | 41.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 5.6% | 10.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 2.8% | 5.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia?
- Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in Malaysia was 5.6% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 41.7% in 2002.
- What is the lowest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2008.
- How does Malaysia rank for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public?
- Malaysia ranks 80th out of 124 countries with data for 2021.
- Is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release