Women Own 219k Businesses 93pct In Services Sector Dosm

---

 


A total of 219,015 active women-owned establishments were recorded in Malaysia in 2022, as reported by the Statistics Department.
The department’s Economic Census 2023, released today, noted that this represented 20.1 percent of the total registered establishments in the country.
Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin said the number of women-owned establishments operating in 2022 shows an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent compared to 187,265 establishments in the 2015 census.
He said 93.6 percent or 205,012 establishments were in the services sector, followed by manufacturing (8,469), and construction (3,869).
“Findings by subsector showed that more than 70 percent of the women-owned establishments were involved in the wholesale and retail trade subsector, with 45 percent, and the food and beverage subsector with 31.1 percent,” he said in a statement.
Selangor remained the state with the highest number of women-owned establishments in 2022, contributing 15.9 percent of the total, followed by Sabah (10.4 percent), Kelantan (9.6 percent), Kuala Lumpur (9.2 percent), and Johor (8.9 percent).
“These five states accounted for more than half of the total women-owned establishments in Malaysia,” he said.
Gross output generated
Uzir said the value of gross output generated by women-owned establishments amounted to RM136.9 billion in 2022, contributing 3.6 percent to the local economy.
The services sector generated the highest gross output value with RM83 billion or 60.7 percent, while the wholesale and retail trade subsector contributed 37.7 percent or RM31.3 billion, he added.
“In line with the increase of gross output, the total value added for women-owned establishments grew 6.5 percent annually, increased by RM21.8 billion to record RM61.4 billion in 2022 from RM39.6 billion in 2015.
“The main contributor to the value added was the services sector, registering 72.2 percent or RM44.4 billion with an annual growth rate of 5.7 percent. Meanwhile, the manufacturing and agriculture sectors contributed RM10.5 billion and RM5 billion respectively,” he said.
Assets and SMEs
The value of fixed assets for women-owned establishments showed an increase of 5.6 percent annually from RM37.9 billion in 2015 to RM55.4 billion in 2022.
This was mainly influenced by the services sector, which recorded RM41.3 billion in 2022 from RM22.8 billion in 2015, while the manufacturing sector had RM7.6 billion of fixed assets, and the agriculture sector registered RM5.9 billion.
Uzir said there were 185,582 women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 2022, representing 17 percent of the total establishments in Malaysia, where 171,800 establishments were in the services sector followed by 8,359 in manufacturing.
He said the women-owned SMEs generated a gross output of RM89.3 billion and a value added of RM44.3 billion, which increased by 3.7 percent and 4.1 percent respectively each year.
Employment and salaries
Additionally, he said women-owned establishments employed 833,311 persons, with an annual growth rate of 0.9 percent, while in terms of salaries and wages and fixed asset values, they recorded RM16.2 billion and RM39.7 billion, with annual growth rates of 4.5 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
“The increasing presence of women in the entrepreneurial ecosystem reflects Malaysia's ongoing commitment to gender inclusivity and empowerment.
Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin“These statistics serve not only as a testament to the strength and capabilities of women entrepreneurs, but also as a vital input for policymakers, researchers, and industry players in formulating informed strategies to support and accelerate women’s economic participation,” he added.
- Bernama

---