data story

Where you live shapes what you earn

Household income, poverty & the B40 / M40 / T20 split, 2022

Malaysia's median household income was RM6,338 a month in 2022, but it ranges from RM10,234 in Kuala Lumpur to RM3,614 in Kelantan. Nationally, the B40/M40/T20 lines fall at RM4,850 and RM10,960.

Source · Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Household Income & Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 Updated 2026-06-30
RM6,338
National median
half of households earn less, half more · 2022
DOSM HIES 2022
≤ RM4,850
B40 ceiling
the bottom 40% of households earn under this
national, 2022
≥ RM10,960
T20 floor
the top 20% earn above this
national, 2022

Median household income by state

Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor sit far above the rest; whole states fall below the national B40 ceiling of RM4,850.

W.P. Kuala Lumpur
RM10,234
W.P. Putrajaya
RM10,056
Selangor
RM9,983
W.P. Labuan
RM6,904
Johor
RM6,879
Pulau Pinang
RM6,502
Melaka
RM6,210
Terengganu
RM5,878
Negeri Sembilan
RM5,226
Sarawak
RM4,978
Pahang
RM4,753
Perlis
RM4,713
Sabah
RM4,577
Perak
RM4,494
Kedah
RM4,402
Kelantan
RM3,614
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Household Income & Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 · HIES 2022, by state · RM / month, household

Absolute poverty by state

Share of households below the national poverty line. Sabah and Kelantan are highest; the Klang Valley lowest.

Sabah
19.7%
Kelantan
13.2%
Sarawak
10.8%
Kedah
9%
Perak
7.5%
Pahang
6.3%
Terengganu
6.2%
Johor
4.6%
Negeri Sembilan
4.4%
Melaka
4.2%
Perlis
4%
W.P. Labuan
2.5%
Pulau Pinang
2%
Selangor
1.5%
W.P. Kuala Lumpur
1.4%
W.P. Putrajaya
0.1%
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Household Income & Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 · HIES 2022, incidence of poverty · % of households below the national poverty line

What it means

  • A Kuala Lumpur household earns about 2.8× more than a Kelantan one (RM10,234 vs RM3,614 median).
  • Whole states sit largely in the B40: Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and Sabah all have median household incomes below the national B40 ceiling of RM4,850.
  • Sabah has the highest poverty rate (19.7%) despite its natural resources; Putrajaya the lowest (0.1%).
  • The B40/M40/T20 labels are national cut-offs, what counts as 'middle income' in KL can be well-off in Kelantan.
Publisher
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · Government, national statistics office
Document
Household Income & Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022
Published
2023
Source link
https://open.dosm.gov.my/dashboard/household-income-expenditure
Retrieved
2026-06-30
Coverage
Figures are gross monthly household income. B40 / M40 / T20 = the bottom 40%, middle 40% and top 20% of households by income. State figures and poverty rates from DOSM HIES 2022.
View official source ↗

Frequently asked

What is the median household income in Malaysia?

Malaysia's median household income was RM6,338 per month in 2022, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

What is the B40, M40 and T20 income range in Malaysia?

By household monthly income (DOSM HIES 2022): B40 is RM4,850 and below, M40 is RM4,851–RM10,960, and T20 is RM10,960 and above.

Which Malaysian state has the highest household income?

Kuala Lumpur has the highest median household income (RM10,234/month in 2022), followed by Putrajaya and Selangor. Kelantan is the lowest at RM3,614.

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