Malaysia’s economy grows 6% in second quarter
Malaysia’s gross domestic product grew 6% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, accelerating from 5.4% in the first quarter, the Economy Minister said on Friday.
Source: The Star · August 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-source
KUALA LUMPUR, 14 AUGUST 2026 —
Malaysia’s gross domestic product grew 6% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, accelerating from 5.4% in the first quarter, the Economy Minister said on Friday.
Market Impact
According to the National Economic Action Council, the expansion pushed first-half GDP growth to 5.7% from 4.5% in the same period last year.
Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir told reporters the services and manufacturing sectors led the pickup, while the labour market stayed resilient. He added that consumer prices rose 1.9% in the quarter.
The minister said the second-quarter performance showed Malaysia maintained strong momentum despite a challenging global environment.
“Economic success is not measured by growth figures alone,” Akmal said in a statement. “Better employment opportunities, higher incomes and greater purchasing power for the people matter more.”
He noted that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continued to threaten energy prices, logistics costs and supply chains. Malaysia’s diversified structure and domestic demand acted as buffers, he said.
The government, through the National Economic Action Council, will keep monitoring developments and adjust measures to shield households and businesses from external shocks.
Akmal said the council will focus on securing supplies, extending availability, controlling price increases and exploiting new opportunities. Priority will be given to ensuring adequate supplies, stable prices and continued business activity.
He said the government will diversify sources of strategic supplies, deepen trade ties and boost domestic industrial capacity to strengthen resilience. Cooperation with key partners such as Australia, China and Japan will be stepped up to reduce supply-chain risks.
For the second half of 2026, Akmal expects growth to be supported by domestic demand, a stable labour market, household spending, tourism and strong global demand for electrical and electronics products.
Over the medium to long term, he said the 13th Malaysia Plan will be accelerated, focusing on raising productivity, attracting high-quality investments, developing talent and diversifying sources of growth.