KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s manufacturing sector recorded a strong growth of 17.4 per cent in gross output to RM1.61 trillion in 2021 from RM1.37 trillion in the year before, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).
In line with the expansion of gross output, intermediate input grew by 18.2 per cent to RM1.25 trillion in 2021 (2020: RM1.06 trillion), the agency said.
"Thus, the value added turned around to (a growth of) 14.6 per cent from negative 2.9 per cent in the previous year by recording a value of RM355.1 billion in 2021 (2020: RM309.9 billion),” it said in its Annual Economic Statistics 2022 - Manufacturing Sector report.
In terms of gross output by sub-sector, DoSM said the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products sub-sector contributed the largest share of 31.6 per cent, or RM508.9 billion, up 28.2 per cent from RM396.9 billion in 2020.
This was followed by the electrical, electronic and optical products sub-sector which accounted for a 29.3 per cent share with a value of RM471.9 billion (2020: RM417.4 billion), it said.
In terms of value added by sub-sector, the agency said the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products sub-sector was also the main contributor with a 34.3 per cent share. The value added for this sub-sector stood at RM121.8 billion in 2021, surging 25.6 per cent from RM96.9 billion in 2020.
DoSM said the number of persons engaged in the manufacturing sector rose by 2.5 per cent to 2.3 million persons in 2021, largely contributed by the electrical, electronic and optical products sub-sector which registered a share of 24.9 per cent or equivalent to 573,675 persons.
"The number of persons engaged was also contributed by the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products (19.2 per cent share), and non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products (15.9 per cent) sub-sectors,” it said.
Meanwhile, salaries and wages paid in the manufacturing sector stood at RM89.5 billion in 2021,
up 3.3 per cent against the preceding year in tandem with the rise in the number of persons engaged, the agency said.
It said the highest salaries and wages paid were recorded by the electrical, electronic and optical products sub-sector at RM27.6 billion (30.9 per cent share), followed by the petroleum, chemical, rubber and plastic products sub-sector at RM19.5 billion (21.8 per cent), and the non-metallic mineral products, basic metal and fabricated metal products sub-sector at RM13.5 billion (15 per cent). - Bernama
