MALAYSIA’S wholesale and retail trade grew by 4.4 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in May 2025 to reach RM154.3 billion, supported by continued strength in both the retail and wholesale sub-sectors, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
In a statement, Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the growth was “primarily supported by the performance of the retail and wholesale trade sub-sectors”.
“The retail trade sub-sector registered RM67.1 billion in sales, an increase of RM3.1 billion or 4.9 per cent y-o-y. The wholesale trade sub-sector recorded RM68.2 billion, up RM3.1 billion or 4.7 per cent y-o-y, reflecting steady business activity across supply chains,” he said.
Online retail activity continued to expand, with the online retail sales index climbing 2.2 per cent year-on-year. However, after seasonal adjustment, the index recorded a month-on-month decline of 3.4 per cent.
On the volume index, wholesale and retail trade posted a 4.1 per cent increase y-o-y, led by a 5.8 per cent rise in wholesale trade and a 3.7 per cent rise in retail trade.
Dr Mohd Uzir also highlighted strong growth in digital payments, with e-money transactions surging 70.2 per cent to RM21.5 billion.
“Real-time retail payments platform transactions amounted to RM289.4 billion, underscoring the growing demand for instantaneous payment solutions,” he said, adding that Financial Process Exchange (FPX) transactions rose by 21.1 per cent to RM39.2 billion, reflecting increased online banking usage.
Credit card spending remained stable at RM18.7 billion, while debit card usage grew by eight per cent to RM14.1 billion.
“Collectively, these trends highlight the sustained expansion of digital payment channels, in line with evolving consumer preferences and the broader digitalisation of Malaysia’s payment infrastructure,” he added. - July 14, 2025
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