Malaysia’s economy expanded 6.0% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 5.4% in the first quarter, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia. Growth for the first half reached 5.7%.
Services grew 5.9%, while manufacturing expanded 7.3%. Agriculture moved in the opposite direction, contracting 3.7%. Within services, information and communication increased 8.3%; within manufacturing, electrical, electronic and optical products grew 14.4%.
The quarterly picture was also stronger after seasonal adjustment: GDP increased 2.5% against the preceding quarter. That comparison is different from the 6.0% annual rate and should not be presented as the same measure.
What the headline does—and does not—show
The results describe an expanding economy, not uniform growth across every business. Companies assessing demand need to distinguish the national total from the performance of their own sector. A stronger GDP reading also does not establish that all households or firms experienced an equivalent increase in income.