BUTTERWORTH, November 10 — Initial insights from Malaysia’s 2024 Agricultural Census suggest that the country’s actual agricultural production may fall short of previous estimates. Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli emphasized the significance of this new data, collected by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), which could reshape food security and agricultural policies that were last benchmarked in 2005. The data is currently under analysis and will soon be presented to the government to inform future planning.
In celebration of DOSM’s 75th anniversary, Rafizi highlighted DOSM’s expanded data reporting, now reaching the district level, allowing government representatives to better understand and address local socioeconomic conditions. This granular data covers poverty, housing, and employment statistics, ensuring that elected officials and district authorities have comprehensive information to guide regional development initiatives.
In conjunction with the census, DOSM has also unveiled living cost indicators, such as the Basic Expenditure for Decent Living and the Cost of Living Index, alongside a newly released report detailing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by administrative district for 2015-2020. This detailed reporting aims to support balanced development across Malaysia, helping bridge socioeconomic gaps between regions and promoting a more equitable growth strategy.
