SHAH ALAM, Dec 1 — Selangor remains the largest contributor to national growth, having added RM417.6 billion in value to Malaysia’s economy, according to the Statistics Department’s (DOSM) Economic Census 2023 by State and Administrative District report released today.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said this reflects the state’s position as a hub of high-intensity economic activity.
“The number of establishments operating in the state in 2022 was 270,363, with 2,679,675 people engaged,” he said in a statement.
Petaling was the largest contributor with RM224 billion in value added, with Klang (RM89.3 billion), Gombak (RM32.2 billion), Hulu Langat (RM28.7 billion) and Sepang (RM18.6 billion) making up the five top-performing districts in Selangor.
“The services sector was the core of growth and development in the Petaling district, while the manufacturing and construction sectors strengthened the district’s economic structure through job creation and enterprise capacity expansion,” Uzir said.
Other national engines
According to him, apart from Selangor, the country’s economic structure was also driven by Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak and Johor.
Kuala Lumpur recorded the second-highest value added at RM301.8 billion, contributed by 137,882 establishments employing 1,639,468 people, with total salaries and wages amounting to RM77.4 billion.
The federal territory’s economic structure was clearly dominated by the services sector, which contributed 93.6 per cent of the total value added, Uzir said.
“Key activities such as wholesale and retail trade, information and communication, finance, and professional services form the backbone of economic growth in the city.
“Kuala Lumpur’s mature and service-oriented economic structure shows that the city continues to be a hub of investment and innovation. The concentration of high-value economic activities creates significant multiplier effects for the surrounding metropolitan areas,” he added.
Uzir said Sarawak’s value added of RM165.4 billion was generated from the operations of 70,626 establishments employing 624,361 people.
District-level analysis showed that Bintulu was the state’s top contributor, adding RM87.8 billion in value, followed by Miri (RM34.1 billion), Kuching (RM23.6 billion), Sibu (RM9.1 billion), and Mukah (RM2.2 billion).
Meanwhile, Johor recorded the fourth-highest national contribution, having generated RM129.4 billion through the operations of 129,425 establishments employing 1,264,822 people.
Johor Bahru was the state’s main contributor (RM67.4 billion), followed by Batu Pahat (RM18.2 billion), Kulai (RM11.6 billion), Muar (RM9.3 billion), and Kluang (RM6.8 billion).
Better insight into local economies
Uzir said the publication of district-by-district statistics provides a detailed picture of the distribution of local economic activities, thereby assisting state governments and local authorities in regional development planning, identifying investment potential, and monitoring local economic performance.
“This information lets stakeholders understand the economic strengths of each district, identify focus sectors, and plan more balanced and inclusive development strategies,” the chief statistician said.
