KUALA LUMPUR: The sales value of the manufacturing sector in 2025 hit RM1.97 trillion, an increase of 4.2 per cent from RM1.89 trillion in 2024, while sales in December last year rose 6.4 per cent year-on-year, amounting to RM168.6 billion.
Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth in the manufacturing sector sales value was primarily driven by the electrical and electronics products, which grew 12.6 per cent in December 2025 from 10.8 per cent in November 2025.
"This growth was further supported by the food, beverages, and tobacco as well as the non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sectors, which increased 10.4 per cent (November 2025: 7.7 per cent) and 5.3 per cent (November 2025: 3.4 per cent), respectively,” he said in a statement today.
However, Mohd Uzir noted that on comparison by month, the sales value growth shrank 0.5 per cent, against RM169.4 billion recorded in November 2025.
He said the sales value growth of export-oriented industries, which represented 70.4 per cent of total sales, improved 6.8 per cent in December 2025 from 4.6 per cent in November 2025.
Similarly, Mohd Uzir said the domestic-oriented industries increased by 5.6 per cent in December 2025, after registering 4.6 per cent the previous month.
Commenting on the number of employees, Mohd Uzir said there were 2.4 million persons recorded in this sector in December 2025, "augmented by a 1.1 per cent” (increase) (November 2025: 0.8 per cent).
On a month-on-month basis, the number of employees in this sector climbed 0.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, he said the salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector expanded 2.5 per cent (November 2025: 1.9 per cent), amounting to RM9.1 billion in December 2025.
Mohd Uzir said in the fourth quarter of 2025, the sales value in the manufacturing sector grew by 5.8 per cent year-on-year, achieving RM509.5 billion (Q3 2025: RM500.1 billion, 3.5 per cent). The number of employees during the quarter improved 1.1 per cent (Q3 2025: 1.0 per cent), while salaries and wages paid went up by 2.3 per cent. - Bernama
