Malaysia is proving that sustainable development is more than a vision it’s a measurable reality.
According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicators, Malaysia, 2024 Report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the nation has made strong, broad-based progress toward achieving the UN Agenda 2030 with tangible gains in poverty reduction, employment, environmental quality, public safety, and near-universal digital access.
Now in its seventh edition since 2018, the report confirms that 82% of Malaysia’s national-level SDG indicators are available, enabling comprehensive and transparent measurement across the five core SDG pillars: People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership.
📊 Data That Reflects Real Lives
Chief Statistician of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, emphasised the importance of data integrity and inclusivity, noting that reliable and timely indicators are essential to ensure development progress truly reflects the lived experiences of Malaysians leaving no one behind.
🚀 Key Highlights of Malaysia’s 2024 SDG Progress
👨👩👧👦 Poverty Reduction Gains Momentum
Malaysia recorded a significant decline in households living below the national poverty line, falling from 6.2% in 2023 to 5.1% in 2024.
Encouragingly, the poverty gap between urban and rural areas also narrowed:
- Urban poverty declined from 4.5% to 3.7%
- Rural poverty dropped from 12.0% to 9.9%
This signals more inclusive growth reaching communities beyond major cities.
💼 Jobs and Economic Stability Improve
Under SDG Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Malaysia’s unemployment rate improved to 3.3%, down from 3.4% the previous year.
Ten states recorded unemployment rates below the national average, with W.P. Putrajaya posting a near-zero rate of 0.7%.
🌱 Environmental and Public Safety Progress
- Clean water quality improved, with 97.2% of monitored water bodies classified as having good ambient quality.
- The intentional homicide rate declined from 0.8 to 0.7 per 100,000 population reflecting progress in public safety and governance.
🌐 Digital Malaysia: Nearly Everyone Is Connected
Digital inclusion continues to be one of Malaysia’s strongest success stories:
- Internet usage rose to 98.0% nationwide
- W.P. Putrajaya and W.P. Kuala Lumpur achieved 100% internet usage
- Seven states exceeded the national average, underscoring widespread digital adoption
🤝 Building a Stronger SDG Data Ecosystem
Malaysia has now made 205 SDG indicators available, representing steady improvement since the first report in 2018.
DOSM, alongside the National SDG Centre, lead ministries, and data providers, is expanding collaboration with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to improve granular, local-level data ensuring vulnerable and marginalised groups are visible in national progress tracking.
These high-quality indicators are also critical for monitoring the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (MP13) and benchmarking Malaysia’s performance across ASEAN and global platforms.
