SHAH ALAM – The 2024 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) has revealed that most Malaysians still fall within the lower-middle income bracket or below, reflecting a worrying trend in national income distribution.
Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute (Minda-UKM) Director Professor Tan Sri Noor Azlan Ghazali stated that the findings indicate a similar downward trend in household income for 2024 and the monthly wages of formal sector workers for the first quarter of 2025.
“Individual wages and household incomes of Malaysians are skewed downwards.
"In short, the majority of Malaysians earn lower-middle income or below! This is a major challenge for the nation,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
Noor Azlan pointed out that despite encouraging economic indicators such as increased investment and a strong employment rate, the real question lies in whether such progress is genuinely improving the people’s income levels.
Although Malaysia’s economic figures continue to paint a positive picture, he cautioned that the benefits may not yet be reaching the broader population.
“Economic growth, higher investment, more jobs; all these economic indicators that are reported. The key issue is, are people’s incomes improving? Is it enough for a comfortable life? Hopefully, the 2026 Budget to be presented will provide a pathway to correct this distortion. There must be one,” he said.
The 2026 Budget is scheduled to be presented by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this Friday.