KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — The country’s wholesale and retail trade recorded sales amounted to RM1.3 trillion in 2018, an increase of 8.6 per cent per annum compared to 2013, dominated by the district of Petaling, according to the Department of Statistics.

There were 469,024 establishments operating in the sector in 2018 compared with 370,725 in 2013 with an annual growth rate of 4.8 per cent.

"The number of employees (in wholesale and retail trade sector) was 2,002,838 with an annual growth rate of 3.3 per cent,” the department said in a statement today.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri DMohd Uzir Mahidin said salaries and wages paid amounted to RM62.9 billion compared to RM39.0 billion in 2013.

From the total number of establishments involved in wholesale and retail trade, 461,975 were small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or 98.5 per cent with an annual growth rate of 4.7 per cent.

The sales value generated by the SMEs in the wholesale and retail trade was RM806.9 billion compared to RM591.7 billion in the previous census with an annual growth rate of 6.5 per cent.

For performance by state, Selangor recorded the highest number of establishments at 94,857 while Petaling emerged with the highest number of establishments in a district with 40,018 establishments. — Bernama