Current health expenditure (% of GDP) (Global Health) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Current health expenditure (% of GDP) (Global Health) was 4.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Current health expenditure in Malaysia, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for current health expenditure in Malaysia is 4.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current health expenditure in Malaysia peaked at 4.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2000.
Malaysia ranks 156th of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Current health expenditure (% of GDP) (Global Health) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.5% | — |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | +9.6% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +11.6% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 3.0% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 3.3% | +8.5% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 3.5% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 4.1% | +6.3% |
| 2021 | 4.4% | +7.1% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | -10.8% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | +1.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 4.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.2%, 64% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 4.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.9%, 67% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.9% | 2.5% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 652 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0316 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current health expenditure in Malaysia?
- Current health expenditure in Malaysia was 4.0% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest current health expenditure recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest current health expenditure recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2000.
- How does Malaysia rank for current health expenditure?
- Malaysia ranks 156th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is current health expenditure rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Current health expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.