KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia continued to record a surplus in the current account balance (CAB) in the first quarter of 2026 (1Q 2026), amounting to RM15.2bil, equivalent to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP), significantly higher than RM2.7bil in 4Q 2025.
In the balance of payments and international investment position statistics for 1Q 2026 released by the Statistics Department Malaysia (DOSM), the strong performance was mainly driven by a larger surplus in the goods account and continued strengthening in the services account.
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Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth in current account surplus was supported by sustained external demand for Malaysia’s exports alongside improving services sector performance.
"In 1Q 2026, Malaysia recorded a surplus in the goods account, which reached RM33.6bil against RM24.3bil in the previous quarter. This reflects resilience in exports, supported by steady global demand for its key export products,” he said in a statement on Friday (May 15).
DOSM also said the services account continued to register a higher surplus of RM6.4bil versus RM5.3bil in the previous quarter.
"The improvement was mainly contributed by maintenance and repair services, which shifted from a deficit of RM154.5mil to a surplus of RM503.1mil in 1Q 2026,” it said.
Meanwhile, DOSM said Malaysia recorded a strong net inflow, with foreign direct investment (FDI) rising to RM22.8bil in the quarter under review against RM26.6bil in 4Q 2025, mainly supported by debt instruments, particularly loans received from abroad, followed by equity and investment fund shares.
It noted that by sector, FDI inflows were mostly channelled into services, predominantly into the information and communication subsector, while mining and quarrying was the next largest contributor.
"At the end of 1Q 2026, the FDI position accumulated to RM1.11 trillion.The inflows were driven by investments from Singapore, China and Hong Kong,” it added. - Bernama
