Net foreign assets in Malaysia
Malaysia: Net foreign assets was 289.80 billion current LCU in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
289.80 billion current LCU
Change on year
up 11.9%
World rank
89th
of 187 countries
All-time high
359.74 billion current LCU
in 2015
All-time low
1.34 billion current LCU
in 1961
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Net foreign assets in Malaysia, 1960–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
In 2025, net foreign assets in Malaysia stood at 289.80 billion current LCU.
The figure is up 11.9% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net foreign assets in Malaysia peaked at 359.74 billion current LCU in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.34 billion current LCU, in 1961.
That places Malaysia 89th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net foreign assets in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.44 billion current LCU | — |
| 1961 | 1.34 billion current LCU | -6.8% |
| 1962 | 1.40 billion current LCU | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 1.38 billion current LCU | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 1.43 billion current LCU | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 1.63 billion current LCU | +14.5% |
| 1966 | 1.66 billion current LCU | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 1.44 billion current LCU | -13.4% |
| 1968 | 1.55 billion current LCU | +7.7% |
| 1969 | 2.00 billion current LCU | +29.2% |
| 1970 | 2.14 billion current LCU | +6.9% |
| 1971 | 2.29 billion current LCU | +7.5% |
| 1972 | 2.75 billion current LCU | +20.0% |
| 1973 | 3.08 billion current LCU | +12.0% |
| 1974 | 3.47 billion current LCU | +12.6% |
| 1975 | 3.77 billion current LCU | +8.6% |
| 1976 | 5.66 billion current LCU | +50.1% |
| 1977 | 6.23 billion current LCU | +10.1% |
| 1978 | 6.63 billion current LCU | +6.5% |
| 1979 | 9.04 billion current LCU | +36.3% |
| 1980 | 9.27 billion current LCU | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 7.68 billion current LCU | -17.2% |
| 1982 | 7.59 billion current LCU | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 7.01 billion current LCU | -7.7% |
| 1984 | 5.35 billion current LCU | -23.6% |
| 1985 | 8.69 billion current LCU | +62.5% |
| 1986 | 13.89 billion current LCU | +59.8% |
| 1987 | 19.29 billion current LCU | +38.9% |
| 1988 | 20.43 billion current LCU | +5.9% |
| 1989 | 22.11 billion current LCU | +8.2% |
| 1990 | 25.56 billion current LCU | +15.6% |
| 1991 | 24.19 billion current LCU | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 33.90 billion current LCU | +40.1% |
| 1993 | 55.58 billion current LCU | +63.9% |
| 1994 | 61.85 billion current LCU | +11.3% |
| 1995 | 58.36 billion current LCU | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 52.81 billion current LCU | -9.5% |
| 1997 | 35.04 billion current LCU | -33.6% |
| 1998 | 85.27 billion current LCU | +143.3% |
| 1999 | 114.30 billion current LCU | +34.0% |
| 2000 | 116.58 billion current LCU | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 120.94 billion current LCU | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 120.17 billion current LCU | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 146.75 billion current LCU | +22.1% |
| 2004 | 217.93 billion current LCU | +48.5% |
| 2005 | 219.61 billion current LCU | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 263.12 billion current LCU | +19.8% |
| 2007 | 290.07 billion current LCU | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 257.16 billion current LCU | -11.3% |
| 2009 | 288.17 billion current LCU | +12.1% |
| 2010 | 284.19 billion current LCU | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 356.97 billion current LCU | +25.6% |
| 2012 | 347.38 billion current LCU | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 337.21 billion current LCU | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 325.97 billion current LCU | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 359.74 billion current LCU | +10.4% |
| 2016 | 349.21 billion current LCU | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 333.10 billion current LCU | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 306.14 billion current LCU | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 287.27 billion current LCU | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 312.06 billion current LCU | +8.6% |
| 2021 | 353.94 billion current LCU | +13.4% |
| 2022 | 301.50 billion current LCU | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 299.04 billion current LCU | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 258.94 billion current LCU | -13.4% |
| 2025 | 289.80 billion current LCU | +11.9% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 289.80 billion current LCU is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 276.97 billion current LCU, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 289.80 billion current LCU is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 348.82 billion current LCU, 83% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net foreign assets in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +143.3% | 35.04 billion current LCU | 85.27 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.53 billion current LCU | 1.34 billion current LCU | 2.00 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.51 billion current LCU | 2.14 billion current LCU | 9.04 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.13 billion current LCU | 5.35 billion current LCU | 22.11 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.69 billion current LCU | 24.19 billion current LCU | 114.30 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 204.05 billion current LCU | 116.58 billion current LCU | 290.07 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 328.72 billion current LCU | 284.19 billion current LCU | 359.74 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 302.55 billion current LCU | 258.94 billion current LCU | 353.94 billion current LCU | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More financial sector data for Malaysia
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0027 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 35.78 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0.8573 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 26.13 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0027 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 35.78 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0.8573 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net foreign assets in Malaysia?
- Net foreign assets in Malaysia was 289.80 billion current LCU in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest net foreign assets recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 359.74 billion current LCU in 2015.
- What is the lowest net foreign assets recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.34 billion current LCU in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank for net foreign assets?
- Malaysia ranks 89th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is net foreign assets rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Net foreign assets (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Net foreign assets are the sum of foreign assets held by monetary authorities and deposit money banks, less their foreign liabilities. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.