Ores and metals imports in Malaysia
Malaysia: Ores and metals imports was 4.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ores and metals imports in Malaysia, 1964–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise imports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for ores and metals imports in Malaysia is 4.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.4% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ores and metals imports in Malaysia peaked at 6.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 1966.
Malaysia ranks 26th of 196 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Ores and metals imports in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise imports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 4.8% | — |
| 1965 | 4.4% | -7.9% |
| 1966 | 2.6% | -41.6% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | +14.6% |
| 1968 | 6.1% | +104.9% |
| 1969 | 5.6% | -7.7% |
| 1970 | 5.8% | +4.1% |
| 1971 | 4.5% | -22.2% |
| 1972 | 4.8% | +6.9% |
| 1973 | 4.0% | -17.5% |
| 1974 | 4.4% | +11.0% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | +18.1% |
| 1976 | 3.6% | -32.0% |
| 1977 | 3.8% | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 4.2% | +10.5% |
| 1979 | 4.7% | +13.6% |
| 1980 | 4.0% | -16.1% |
| 1981 | 3.6% | -9.6% |
| 1982 | 3.5% | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 3.7% | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 2.9% | -21.3% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 2.9% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | +16.0% |
| 1988 | 4.0% | +20.5% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | +5.0% |
| 1990 | 3.5% | -17.9% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | -4.8% |
| 1992 | 3.3% | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 3.4% | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | -10.5% |
| 1995 | 3.2% | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | -2.7% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | +10.0% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | -7.3% |
| 2001 | 3.0% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -10.1% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +28.7% |
| 2005 | 3.7% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 4.5% | +22.8% |
| 2007 | 5.4% | +19.4% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 4.4% | -14.8% |
| 2010 | 5.2% | +17.3% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 5.0% | -11.3% |
| 2013 | 6.0% | +19.3% |
| 2014 | 5.7% | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 5.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 5.0% | -13.2% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 5.5% | +7.3% |
| 2019 | 6.2% | +13.9% |
| 2020 | 6.4% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | -12.4% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 5.0% | -7.0% |
| 2025 | 4.6% | -9.4% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 4.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.6%, 2.9× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 4.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.3%, 3.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Ores and metals imports in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | +104.9% | 3.0% | 6.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.4% | 2.6% | 6.1% | 6 |
| 1970s | 4.5% | 3.6% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.5% | 2.9% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.8% | 2.7% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 4.6% | 6.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More energy & mining data for Malaysia
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 12.0% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 3.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ores and metals imports in Malaysia?
- Ores and metals imports in Malaysia was 4.6% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest ores and metals imports recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest ores and metals imports recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 1966.
- How does Malaysia rank for ores and metals imports?
- Malaysia ranks 26th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is ores and metals imports rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Ores and metals comprise the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 27 (crude fertilizer, minerals nes); 28 (metalliferous ores, scrap); and 68 (non-ferrous metals). Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise imports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a non-resident and a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.