PUTRAJAYA, Aug 7 — Key socioeconomic indicators for some states improved in 2022, buoyed by a 248.1 per cent rise in domestic tourism expenditure reaching RM64.1 billion, versus RM18.4 billion in 2021.
This is according to the State Socioeconomic Report 2022 released by the Statistics of Department Malaysia (DOSM) today.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in a statement that the number of domestic visitors spiked by 160.1 per cent last year, reaching a record of 171.6 million visitors against 2021’s 66 million.
“The reopening of Malaysia’s international borders and its transition to the endemic phase on April 1, 2022 profoundly impacted the country’s socioeconomic landscape,” he said.
He said this is reflected in Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP), which rose 8.7 per cent versus 3.3 per cent in 2021, marking its best performance since 2000.
Uzir said the resumption of all economic activities, particularly tourism-related industries, helped strengthen the country’s economy.
He said Selangor received the most visitors with 22 million, followed by the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak with 16.9 million and 15.5 million visitors, respectively.
“The permission for interstate travel and the implementation of various government initiatives to revitalise the tourism industry, which was affected the past two years, helped promote domestic tourism,” he said.
According to Uzir, domestic tourists rose 337.1 per cent to 65.1 million compared to 14.9 million in 2021.
Pahang recorded the highest growth at 511.8 per cent, with 7.8 million arrivals from 1.3 million the preceding year. It helped elevate the state’s GDP growth in arts, entertainment and other private services by 96.7 per cent.
This also substantially improved living standards in the state, with the median monthly household income rising to RM6,338 in 2022 from RM5,873 in 2019.
Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, recorded the highest median income at RM10,234, followed by Putrajaya (RM10,056) and Selangor (RM9,983).
Uzir said the increase in income also influenced household expenditure pattern, with Malaysian households spending RM5,150 per month in 2022 on average versus RM4,609 in the year before.
Putrajaya registered the highest average monthly household expenditure at RM8,897.
Other states that recorded household expenditures which exceeded the national average were Kuala Lumpur (RM7,823), Selangor (RM6,770), Melaka (RM5,707), Johor (RM5,342) and Penang (RM5,322), he said.
Uzir said the surge in household income boosted consumer purchasing power, which in turn increased the demand for goods and services.
“This was one of the factors which contributed to the increase in consumer prices. This was apparent as Malaysia’s inflation rose to 3.3 per cent compared to 2.5 per cent in 2021,” he said.
He noted that this was driven by an increase in the expenses related to food and beverages at 5.8 per cent; restaurants and hotels at five per cent; transportation at 4.7 per cent; and household furnishings, equipment and maintenance at 3.5 per cent.
Three states that experienced inflation rates that exceeded 3.3 per cent were Putrajaya at 7.3 per cent, followed by Selangor at 4.2 per cent, and Johor at 3.4 per cent
On the other hand, Labuan’s 2022 inflation rate at 2.4 per cent was the lowest recorded.
Uzir said the government’s various proactive measures has helped accelerate the economic transition from recovery to consolidation.
“Economic recovery is not only translated through stronger economic growth. It is also reflected in an improvement in the community’s standard of living and social well-being,” he said.
— Bernama
