PUTRAJAYA, Oct 8 — Malaysia has achieved a major milestone with hardcore poverty almost eradicated, recording a rate of 0.09 per cent, according to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2024 (HIES) announced today, compared with 0.2 per cent in 2022.
Economy Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the achievement reflects the effectiveness of various initiatives to boost people’s income, empower urban communities, and enhance public well-being, which the government will continue to pursue.
According to international standards, the target for hardcore poverty eradication is considered achieved when the rate is within 3 per cent or below.
“The standard of living has improved, with the average monthly household income rising from RM7,901 in 2019 to RM8,479 in 2022, and further to RM9,155 in 2024 — an increase of 3.8 per cent compared with 2022.
“The Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality, has also narrowed from 0.404 in 2022 to 0.39 in 2024. This is a positive indicator in the nation’s socioeconomic landscape,” he said when launching the HIES 2024 here today.
Based on the report, Amir Hamzah said the incidence of absolute poverty also declined to 5.1 per cent in 2024 from 6.2 per cent in 2022.
He explained that the HIES is a statistical instrument used to measure household socioeconomic progress and improvement.
He said it serves as one of the main references for formulating national economic and social policies, including poverty eradication programmes, income enhancement, reduction of income inequality, and addressing the cost of living.
“From the findings of this survey, the government is able to provide statistics and information on income levels, household expenditure patterns, poverty status and the classification of households by income group in Malaysia.
“The benefits of this survey can be seen in the effectiveness of government poverty eradication programmes, with the poverty rate having fallen significantly from 49.3 per cent in 1970 to 6.2 per cent in 2022,” he said.
He said the government remains committed to eradicating poverty in all its forms, regardless of race, religion or region.
“The approach to poverty eradication must focus on enhancing social mobility, not merely providing temporary aid.
“Social mobility will be strengthened through efforts to empower people to cope with living costs, build a social system based on the principles of the Madani concept, and improve overall quality of life,” he said.
Meanwhile, chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin, in presenting the HIES findings, revealed that the three federal territories and three states recorded median household incomes above the national level — Kuala Lumpur (RM10,802); Putrajaya (RM10,769); Selangor (RM10,726); Johor (RM7,712); Penang (RM7,386); and Labuan (RM7,383).
He said Penang recorded the highest annual growth rate at 6.4 per cent, while Perak registered the lowest at 2.1 per cent.
He added that income distribution trends showed gradual positive progress, with households in the B40 group — comprising 3.28 million households — earning up to RM5,859.
“The M40 income group ranges between RM5,860 and RM12,679, while 1.64 million households in the T20 group earn RM12,680 and above,” he said.
