PUTRAJAYA, Feb 20 — Malaysia’s national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) declined from 0.0037 in 2022 to 0.0025 in 2024, signalling continued improvement in overall multidimensional well-being, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin, in a statement today, said that the decline in the MPI coincided with decreases in the absolute contribution of most key indicators, particularly in health and selected living standard components.

“The lower index value indicates that multidimensional poverty has become less severe, supported by a reduction in overlapping deprivations experienced by households,” he said.

The MPI for the reference year 2024, with comparisons to 2022, presents poverty measurement in a broader context through a multidimensional approach, focusing on non-financial aspects using a multidimensional framework encompassing education, health and living standards.

Three dimensions and 10 indicators were selected to holistically measure multidimensional poverty in Malaysia, based on concepts and guidelines from Multidimensional Poverty Measurement and Analysis developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Peering into Malaysia’s urban-rural gap, multidimensional poverty in urban areas remained low, with the MPI recorded at 0.0001 in both 2022 and 2024.

By comparison, rural areas continued to experience higher levels of multidimensional poverty, although improvements were observed, with the rural MPI declining from 0.0164 in 2022 to 0.0109 in 2024.

From the perspective of the educational dimension, deprivation related to years of schooling showed clear improvement, declining from 0.0003 in 2022 to 0.0001 in 2024.

Looking at health-related deprivations, access to healthcare services continued to improve, declining from 0.0013 in 2022 to 0.0009 in 2024. Access to clean water supply also showed progress, decreasing from 0.0014 to 0.0010 over the same period.

Turning to living standards, most indicators recorded stable or improving trends. Housing conditions and room density remained at 0.0001, while deprivation related to sanitation, transport use, and access to basic communication equipment continued to be at 0.0000, reflecting minimal influence on the MPI.

Access to waste collection services improved from 0.0004 in 2022 to 0.0003 in 2024, though it remained a notable component within the living standards dimension.

The statement said, based on international comparisons, Malaysia recorded an MPI score of 0.0025 in 2024, compared to Thailand (0.0018; 2022). MPI scores for several other countries are higher, including Vietnam (0.0077; 2021), Indonesia (0.0140; 2017) and the Philippines (0.0158; 2022).

Amid Malaysia’s continued progress, Mohd Uzir emphasised that the lower Malaysia MPI score signals tangible progress in addressing non-financial aspects of poverty.

“Moving forward, strengthening access to clean water and healthcare services, alongside sustained improvements in basic living standards, remains essential to accelerating further reductions in multidimensional poverty and ensuring inclusive socio-economic development,” he said.

Meanwhile, he added that DOSM is conducting the Economic Census 2026 (BE2026), themed “Data Nadi Ekonomi Rakyat”, running from January 5 to October 31, 2026, to collect comprehensive, structured data from all registered and unregistered business establishments in Malaysia to assess the nation’s economic performance, structure and characteristics in an evidence-based manner. — Bernama