Poverty and living standards in Perlis, Malaysia: official figures
The absolute poverty rate in Perlis was 3.6% of households in 2024 (households with income below the national poverty line), 8th lowest among the 16 areas.
Has poverty in Perlis gone down?
Poverty in Perlis fell between the 2022 and 2024 household surveys: 4.0% of households were below the poverty line in 2022 and 3.6% in 2024, a change of -0.4 percentage points.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Perlis?
Income inequality in Perlis, 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 Perlis getting better or worse?
The Gini coefficient of household income in Perlis fell from 0.336 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 Perlis spend?
Households in Perlis spent on average 68% of their income in 2024 (RM4,084 out of RM5,996 a month), a share that ranks 8th highest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyWhy is average income higher than median income in Perlis?
The mean household income in Perlis is 21% higher than the median (RM5,996 against RM4,950 a month in 2024); the gap ranks 4th narrowest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow Perlis compares with other states
Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) (2024)
Perlis ranks 9 of 16, highest first. Share of households with income below the national poverty line.
| Rank | Region | Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Pahang | 5.9% |
| 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% |
Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 (2024)
Perlis ranks 9 of 16, highest first. Gini coefficient of household income: 0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality.
| Rank | Region | Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 12 | Putrajaya | 0.324 |
More on Perlis: 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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