Poverty and living standards in Melaka, Malaysia: official figures
The absolute poverty rate in Melaka was 3.0% of households in 2024 (households with income below the national poverty line), 7th lowest among the 16 areas.
Has poverty in Melaka gone down?
Poverty in Melaka fell between the 2022 and 2024 household surveys: 4.2% of households were below the poverty line in 2022 and 3.0% in 2024, a change of -1.2 percentage points.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Melaka?
Income inequality in Melaka, measured by the Gini coefficient of household income, was 0.337 in 2024 (0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality), 7th most unequal among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyIs income inequality in Melaka getting better or worse?
The Gini coefficient of household income in Melaka fell from 0.370 in 2022 to 0.337 in 2024, so income inequality narrowed.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow much of their income do households in Melaka spend?
Households in Melaka spent on average 72% of their income in 2024 (RM6,212 out of RM8,686 a month), a share that ranks 3rd highest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyWhy is average income higher than median income in Melaka?
The mean household income in Melaka is 26% higher than the median (RM8,686 against RM6,891 a month in 2024); the gap ranks 8th widest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow Melaka compares with other states
Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) (2024)
Melaka ranks 10 of 16, highest first. Share of households with income below the national poverty line.
| Rank | Region | Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Terengganu | 5.8% |
| 8 | Negeri Sembilan | 4.0% |
| 9 | Perlis | 3.6% |
| 10 | Melaka | 3.0% |
| 11 | Johor | 2.5% |
| 12 | Labuan | 2.0% |
| 13 | Penang | 1.9% |
Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 (2024)
Melaka ranks 7 of 16, highest first. Gini coefficient of household income: 0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality.
| Rank | Region | Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Kelantan | 0.356 |
| 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 |
More on Melaka: 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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