Malaysia’s economy grew 5.3% year-on-year in the third quarter

China News Service, Kuala Lumpur, October 16 (Reporter Liu Yuying) The preliminary estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) released by the Malaysian Bureau of Statistics on the 16th showed that Malaysia’s GDP increased by 5.3% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, a slower growth rate than the 6% in the second quarter; GDP in the first three quarters increased by 5.5% year-on-year, higher than the 4.8% in the same period in 2025.

In terms of industrial performance, the manufacturing industry grew by 7.5% year-on-year in the third quarter, mainly supported by export-oriented industries such as electronics, electrical and optical products, and petrochemicals.

As the main driving force for Malaysia's economic growth, the service industry grew by 5.4% year-on-year, mainly driven by wholesale and retail, information and communications, finance and insurance industries. The construction industry maintained expansion, while agriculture returned to positive growth, led by higher palm oil and livestock production.

At the same time, affected by the decline in crude oil and condensate production, the mining and quarrying industry shrank by 4.9% year-on-year, indicating that the performance of various industries has diverged.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, Malaysia's economy grew by 4.6% in the third quarter, higher than the 1.9% growth in the second quarter.

The Bureau of Statistics stated that this data is a preliminary estimate and more complete GDP data for the third quarter will be released on November 18. (over)