PETALING JAYA: The sales value of the manufacturing sector in December 2025 amounted to RM168.6 billion (up 6.4% year-on-year) and RM1.97 trillion, an increase of 4.2% (2024: 4.6%).
Disclosing this yesterday, Chief Statistician Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth of sales value in the manufacturing sector was primarily driven by electrical and electronic products, which expanded 12.6% in December 2025 (November 2025: 10.8%).
The growth was supported by the food, beverage & tobacco, and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal & fabricated metal product sub-sectors, which increased 10.4% (November 2025: 7.7%) and 5.3% (November 2025: 3.4%), respectively.
On a month on month basis, the sales value shrank by 0.5% from RM169.4 billion recorded in November 2025.
“The sales value growth of export-oriented industries, which represented 70.4% of total sales, improved 6.8% in December 2025 (November 2025: 4.6%). The performance was predominantly attributable to the increase in the manufacture of computer, electronics & optical products at 13.3% (November 2025: 11.1%).
This was followed by manufacture of vegetable & animal oils and fats which grew 11.1% (November 2025: 6.5%), as well as manufacture of electrical equipment (9.5%).
Compared with the preceding month, export-oriented industries contracted 1% (November 2025: -2.9%). Domestic-oriented industries increased by 5.6% in December 2025, after registering 4.6% growth a month ago. The increase was contributed by a rise in the manufacture of food processing products at 9.6% in December 2025 (November 2025: 8.9%), along with manufacture of basic metals (6.5%), and the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery & equipment (5.3%).
Besides that, domestic-oriented industries rose by 0.7% compared with the preceding month.
On the number of employees, Mohd Uzir stated, “There are 2.4 million persons recorded in this sector during December 2025, augmented by 1.1% (November 2025: 0.8%). The addition was mainly driven by the food, beverages & tobacco (1.9%); electrical & electronic products (1.7%); and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal & fabricated metal products (1.2%) sub-sectors. On a month-on-month basis, the number of employees in this sector increased 0.1%.”
Salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector posted an expansion of 2.5% (November 2025: 1.9%), amounting to RM9.1 billion in December 2025. Salaries and wages paid surged by 7.7% compared with RM8.5 billion in the previous month. Subsequently, the sales value per employee registered RM69,502 (5.3%), while the average salaries and wages per employee was RM3,756, up by 1.3% year-on-year.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the sales value in the manufacturing sector grew by 5.8% year-on-year, achieving RM509.5 billion (Q3 2025: RM500.1billion, 3.5%).
The rise was supported by the food, beverage & tobacco (9.8%); electrical & electronic products (11.7%), and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal & fabricated metal products (4.4%).
Meanwhile, the number of employees during the quarter improved 1.1% (Q3 2025: 1%), while salaries & wages paid went up 2.3% .
Summarising the overall performance for 2025, Mohd Uzir said, “The sales value of the manufacturing sector reached RM1.97 trillion, surged 4.2% as against in 2024 (4.6%). During the year, the number of employees rose by 1.1% (2024: 1%) to record a total of 2.4 million persons, while salaries & wages rose by 2% (2024: 1.5%) to RM101.2 billion.