KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's manufacturing sector sales value rose 3.5 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM162.5 billion in July 2025, according to the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM).
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth was mainly driven by the food, beverages and tobacco sub-sector, which expanded by 8.9 per cent in July 2025 compared with 14.7 per cent in June 2025.
He said sales were also supported by the electrical and electronics (E&E) products sub-sector, which grew 6.9 per cent (June: 4.5 per cent), and the non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sector, which rose 3.8 per cent (June: 3.0 per cent).
"In the same period, sales value increased by 0.8 per cent, reaching RM162.5 billion from RM161.2 billion recorded in the previous month," he said in a statement today.
DOSM said growth in the manufacturing sales value of export-oriented industries, which accounted for 71.7 per cent of total sales, stood at 2.7 per cent in July 2025.
This was driven by a 6.3 per cent increase in the manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats (June 2025: 15.9 per cent).
"The manufacture of computers, electronics and optical products grew by 6.9 per cent (June 2025: 3.8 per cent), while the manufacture of machinery and equipment (not elsewhere classified) advanced by 12.4 per cent (June 2025: 10.5 per cent).
"On a month-on-month comparison, export-oriented industries declined slightly by 0.3 per cent (June 2025: 4.1 per cent)," said DOSM.
Similarly, domestic-oriented industries maintained steady growth at 5.6 per cent in July 2025, supported by robust expansion in food processing products, which rose 12.7 per cent (June 2025: 14.0 per cent).
Growth was also contributed by the manufacture of basic metals (7.2 per cent) and fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (4.0 per cent), as the domestic-oriented industries increased 3.8 per cent compared with the preceding month.
Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir said total employment in the sector stood at 2.4 million persons in July, up 1.1 per cent compared with one per cent in June.
The increase was mainly driven by the food, beverages and tobacco (2.0 per cent); non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (1.4 per cent); and E&E products (1.4 per cent). On a month-on-month basis, the number of employees increased 0.2 per cent.
"Correspondingly, salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector grew 2.3 per cent (June 2025: 1.6 per cent) to RM8.31 billion in July 2025. However, salaries and wages declined 0.2 per cent compared with RM8.33 billion recorded in the preceding month.
"Subsequently, sales value per employee was registered at RM67,833 (2.3 per cent), while the average salaries and wages per employee rose 1.2 per cent y-o-y to RM3,469," said Mohd Uzir.
For the January-July 2025 period, the manufacturing sector recorded cumulative sales of RM1.1 trillion, up 3.7 per cent compared with 4.5 per cent in the same period of 2024.
"The number of employees increased by 1.1 per cent to 2.4 million persons, while salaries and wages grew 1.9 per cent to RM58.5 billion. Moreover, sales value per employee stood at RM466,735, up 2.5 per cent," he added. - Bernama
