Poverty and living standards in Sabah, Malaysia: official figures
The absolute poverty rate in Sabah was 17.7% of households in 2024 (households with income below the national poverty line), the highest among the 16 areas.
Has poverty in Sabah gone down?
Poverty in Sabah fell between the 2022 and 2024 household surveys: 19.7% of households were below the poverty line in 2022 and 17.7% in 2024, a change of -2.0 percentage points.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Sabah?
Income inequality in Sabah, measured by the Gini coefficient of household income, was 0.405 in 2024 (0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality), the most unequal among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyIs income inequality in Sabah getting better or worse?
The Gini coefficient of household income in Sabah rose from 0.395 in 2022 to 0.405 in 2024, so income inequality widened.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow much of their income do households in Sabah spend?
Households in Sabah spent on average 55% of their income in 2024 (RM3,547 out of RM6,498 a month), a share that ranks 2nd lowest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyWhy is average income higher than median income in Sabah?
The mean household income in Sabah is 33% higher than the median (RM6,498 against RM4,890 a month in 2024); the gap ranks the widest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow Sabah compares with other states
Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) (2024)
Sabah ranks 1 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)
Sabah ranks 1 of 16, highest first. Gini coefficient of household income: 0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality.
| Rank | Region | Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sabah | 0.405 |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur | 0.375 |
| 3 | Sarawak | 0.361 |
| 4 | Kelantan | 0.356 |
| 5 | Johor | 0.348 |
| 6 | Negeri Sembilan | 0.343 |
| 7 | Melaka | 0.337 |
More on Sabah: 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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