Poverty and living standards in Kedah, Malaysia: official figures
The absolute poverty rate in Kedah was 8.4% of households in 2024 (households with income below the national poverty line), joint 3rd highest among the 16 areas.
Has poverty in Kedah gone down?
Poverty in Kedah fell between the 2022 and 2024 household surveys: 9.0% of households were below the poverty line in 2022 and 8.4% in 2024, a change of -0.6 percentage points.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Kedah?
Income inequality in Kedah, measured by the Gini coefficient of household income, was 0.334 in 2024 (0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality), joint 8th most unequal among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyIs income inequality in Kedah getting better or worse?
The Gini coefficient of household income in Kedah fell from 0.359 in 2022 to 0.334 in 2024, so income inequality narrowed.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow much of their income do households in Kedah spend?
Households in Kedah spent on average 70% of their income in 2024 (RM4,028 out of RM5,793 a month), a share that ranks 5th highest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyWhy is average income higher than median income in Kedah?
The mean household income in Kedah is 18% higher than the median (RM5,793 against RM4,895 a month in 2024); the gap ranks 3rd narrowest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow Kedah compares with other states
Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) (2024)
Kedah ranks 3 of 16, highest first. Share of households with income below the national poverty line.
| Rank | Region | Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sabah | 17.7% |
| 2 | Kelantan | 11.5% |
| 3 | Kedah | 8.4% |
| 4 | Sarawak | 8.4% |
| 5 | Perak | 6.9% |
| 6 | Pahang | 5.9% |
| 7 | Terengganu | 5.8% |
Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 (2024)
Kedah ranks 8 of 16, highest first. Gini coefficient of household income: 0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality.
| Rank | Region | Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Johor | 0.348 |
| 6 | Negeri Sembilan | 0.343 |
| 7 | Melaka | 0.337 |
| 8 | Kedah | 0.334 |
| 9 | Perlis | 0.334 |
| 10 | Selangor | 0.332 |
| 11 | Labuan | 0.327 |
More on Kedah: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · Malaysia
Sources
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM): Household Income and Expenditure Survey by state, 2022 and 2024: mean and median household income, mean household expenditure, Gini coefficient, absolute poverty rate, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2006002bbfb2…)
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