KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — The manufacturing sector’s sales value rose 7.1 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM169.4 billion in January 2026, compared to a 6.4 per cent rise y-o-y to RM168.6 billion in December 2025, said the Malaysian Statistics Department (DOSM).
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth in sales value within the manufacturing sector was mainly contributed by the electrical and electronics (E&E) products sub-sector, which grew 15.6 per cent in January 2026 (December 2025: 12.6 per cent).
“The growth was further supported by the food, beverages and tobacco and the non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sectors, which rose by 12.4 per cent (December 2025: 10.4 per cent) and 5.7 per cent (December 2025: 5.3 per cent), respectively.
“In comparison, by month-on-month (m-o-m), sales value increased 0.5 per cent, from RM168.6 billion recorded in December 2025,” he said in a statement today.
Sales value growth in the export-oriented industries, which accounted for 70.2 per cent of total sales, improved by 7.2 per cent in January 2026 (December 2025: 6.8 per cent).
“The performance was primarily influenced by the increase in the manufacture of computer, electronics, and optical products by 17.9 per cent (December 2025: 13.3 per cent).
“Additionally, the manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats increased by 13.0 per cent (December 2025: 11.1 per cent), while the manufacture of machinery and equipment nec (not elsewhere classified) grew 7.7 per cent (December 2025: 9.2 per cent),” Uzir said.
Compared with the preceding month, export-oriented industries rose 0.2 per cent. Likewise, domestic-oriented industries expanded by 6.9 per cent in January 2026, up from 5.6 per cent in the previous month.
“The performance was mainly supported by the growth in the manufacture of food processing products with 11.6 per cent growth in January 2026 (December 2025: 9.6 per cent), as well as in the manufacture of basic metals (5.9 per cent) and the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (5.9 per cent).
“Furthermore, the domestic-oriented industries increased 1.0 per cent on a m-o-m basis,” he said.
On employment, 2.4 million employees were recorded in this sector in January 2026, up 1.3 per cent (December 2025: 1.1 per cent).
Uzir said the rise was mainly driven by the food, beverages and tobacco (2.0 per cent); E&E products (1.8 per cent); and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal, and fabricated metal products (1.3 per cent).
“Meanwhile, the number of employees in this sector rose by 0.1 per cent m-o-m,” he said.
Salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector also expanded by 2.8 per cent (December 2025: 2.5 per cent), amounting to RM8.71 billion in January 2026.
“In the meantime, the salaries and wages paid declined 4.4 per cent, compared with RM9.11 billion recorded in the prior month.
“Subsequently, the sales value per employee registered at RM69,779 (5.7 per cent), while the average salaries and wages per employee were RM3,590, increased by 1.4 per cent y-o-y,” said Uzir.
