Malaysia vs South Korea

Malaysia vs South Korea: GDP growth

GDP growth in 2025: 5.2% a year in Malaysia and 1.1% a year in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 4 percentage points, or 4.52 times that in South Korea.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · IMF

Malaysia vs South Korea: GDP growthGDP growth in 2025: 5.2% a year in Malaysia and 1.1% a year in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 4 percentage points, or 4.52 times that in South Korea.
MalaysiaSouth KoreaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Malaysia has been higher since 2022, when it overtook South Korea.
  • In 2025, Malaysia ranked 29 and South Korea ranked 119 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malaysia at 4.3% a year and South Korea at 1.9% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearMalaysiaSouth Korea
20255.21.1
20245.22.2
20233.61.5
202292.9
20213.34.7
2020-5.5-0.7
20194.42.3
20184.83.2
20175.83.4
20164.53.2
201552.9
201463.2
20134.73.3
20125.52.5
20115.33.7
20107.57
2009-1.50.8
20084.83
20076.35.8
20065.65.2
200554.4
20046.85.2
20035.83.1
20025.47.7
20010.54.7
20008.79.2
19996.111.6
1998-7.4-4.9
19977.36.3
1996108
19959.89.7
19949.29.4
19939.97
19928.96.4
19919.510.9
1990910
19899.17.2
19889.912.1
19875.412.9
19861.211.5
1985-0.97.9
19847.810.6
19836.313.5
19825.98.5
19816.97.4
19807.4-1.5
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearMalaysiaSouth Korea
20265.23.3
20274.62.8
20284.32.3
20294.32.1
20304.31.9
20314.31.9

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
  • Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
  • The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
  • Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Malaysia vs South Korea

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