Economic Census 2026: Malaysia Records 1.33 Million Active Establishments – DOSM
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia recorded 1.33 million active establishments under the Economic Census 2026 (BE2026), up from 1.09 million in the previous census conducted in 2023, reflecting continued growth in the country’s business landscape.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said preliminary findings showed that active establishments accounted for 99.3 per cent of the 1.34 million premises surveyed, covering the reference year 2025.
By sector, services dominated with 1.17 million establishments, representing 87.5 per cent of the total, followed by construction with 86,200 establishments (6.5 per cent) and manufacturing with 61,000 establishments (4.6 per cent), the department said in a statement today.
DOSM said the agriculture sector accounted for 18,300 establishments (1.4 per cent), while mining and quarrying recorded 1,100 establishments (0.1 per cent).
Within the services sector, the wholesale and retail trade subsector accounted for the largest share at 39.5 per cent of total establishments, followed by food and beverage services at 14.2 per cent and personal services and other activities at 12.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, the financial services subsector recorded the highest annual growth rate in the number of establishments at 14.7 per cent, followed by accommodation (14.5 per cent), food and beverage services (6.6 per cent), administrative and support services (6.1 per cent), professional services (5.5 per cent) and real estate (5.1 per cent).
DOSM said Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Johor emerged as the country’s main business hubs, collectively accounting for 643,355 active establishments, or 48.3 per cent of the nationwide total.
In the manufacturing sector, food products accounted for the largest share of establishments at 19.3 per cent, followed by non-metallic mineral products, basic metals and fabricated metal products at 18.4 per cent.
“The electrical, electronic and optical products subsector recorded a 3.1 per cent increase in the number of establishments compared with 2022, in line with initiatives under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which emphasises the development of high-growth, high-value (HGHV) industries as one of the country’s strategic focus areas,” it said.
According to DOSM, the construction sector recorded 86,000 active establishments in 2025, with specialised construction activities accounting for the largest share at 34.4 per cent, followed by non-residential building construction (25.8 per cent) and civil engineering (22.6 per cent).
In the agriculture sector, food crops accounted for 15.2 per cent of total establishments and recorded growth of 17 per cent, while ruminant livestock and dairy farming increased by 19 per cent and aquaculture expanded by 8.3 per cent.
The census also provided insights into Malaysia’s informal economy, identifying 93,597 informal establishments, including street hawkers and mobile businesses, as well as 71,101 holiday home units.
DOSM said a three-week follow-up operation would be conducted from November 1 to 20 to ensure comprehensive census coverage and prevent any economic establishments from being overlooked.
The department also announced that detailed BE2026 findings would be published in April 2027 following comprehensive data processing and analysis, while the preliminary figures released remain subject to further review.
BERNAMA