KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 ― Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which saw a decline across major economic sectors nationwide, eight states have recorded better gross domestic product (GDP) growth performance than the 5.6 per cent contraction seen at the national level in 2020.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin explained that these eight states had similarly recorded a negative growth or contraction in their GDP, but at a smaller rate.
They were: Federal Territory of Labuan (-0.5 per cent) followed by Kelantan (-1.1 per cent), Kedah (-1.7 per cent), Pulau Pinang (-2.1 per cent), Perak (-2.3 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (-3.6 per cent), Johor (-4.6 per cent), and Selangor (-5.3 per cent).
On the extreme end, three other states ― Sarawak, Federal Territories Kuala Lumpur and Sabah ― were found to have been impacted the most from the ongoing pandemic, with negative growth at the rates of -7.1 per cent, -7.5 per cent, and -9.5 per cent respectively.
“In 2020, Malaysia’s economic performance contracted 5.6 per cent as compared to 4.4 per cent in the preceding year.
“As to everyone’s knowledge, this is the effect of containment measures implemented by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19,” he said during a press briefing on the release of the State Socioeconomic Report 2020.
Separately, Mohd Uzir said six states namely Selangor, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sarawak, Pulau Pinang and Sabah remained as the largest contributor to the national GDP with a total contribution of 72.1 per cent (72.3 per cent in 2019).
Selangor alone contributed 24.3 per cent to the national GDP, followed closely by the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur at 16.1 per cent with Johor and Sarawak tied at 9.5 per cent respectively.
As for the state with the highest recorded export value in 2020, Mohd Uzir said Penang tops the list at RM312.4 billion, followed by Johor at RM196.5 billion and Selangor at RM185.5 billion.
“Because of the overarching effect of the ongoing Covid-19 on the nation, the structure of each state’s contribution to the national economy remains as it is,” he added.
Touching on Malaysia’s domestic tourism expenditure in 2020, Mohd Uzir said the value plummeted as much as 60.8 per cent to a value of RM40.4 billion (RM103.2 billion in 2019).
Among the states with the highest drop in the number of domestic visitors were Sabah (-53.1 per cent), Sarawak (-52.5 per cent), Johor (-49.3 per cent), Melaka (-48.0 per cent) and Terengganu (-47.6 per cent).
