Market Intelligence Brief for Malaysia now available

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian heavyweight, known for its growing economy, low income inequality, and strong education system. While its population reached 32.7 million people, fertility is declining and Malaysia is expected to become an ageing society by 2021. The economy had recovered well from the 2018 currency crisis but has, like much of the world, been severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, drop in oil prices and weaker global demand for the exports on which its economy relies. However, unemployment remains low and Malaysia is expected to bounce back for 4 per cent growth in 2021.

Malaysia has long prioritised education and allocated an equivalent of 5 per cent of GDP annually. This prioritisation has allowed scores on the OECD PISA study to consistently improve over the last decade, high enrolment ratios at all levels of education and near universal literacy among 15-24-year-olds. Households are also spending increasing amounts on private education. However, the government is beginning to change tack and is seeking to retain the talent: the number of government scholarships available for overseas study has dropped and may be one of the primary reasons that fewer Malaysian students are looking abroad for tertiary study.

Malaysia is also looking to become an international education hub. It has steadily progressed in this and is a major destination for transnational education programmes. This has caused an increasingly competitive domestic TNE market, resulting in a smaller number of students on UK TNE programmes – though half of the 10 international branch campuses in Malaysia are affiliated with UK HEIs. While the number of Malaysian students at UK HEIs and on UK TNE programmes is declining, ties remain strong.

In this Market Intelligence Brief, explore Malaysia’s demographics, economics and education system. With its prioritisation of education and historic UK ties, this Southeast Asian country will continue to be an important recruitment market for UK HEIs for years to come.

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The Market Intelligence Brief is designed to provide you with an overview of a particular country. Using the latest data from the most reliable sources, it represents a window onto the country's education system and student population as well as the economic, demographic and social factors that shape its higher education sector. The new 2020 series covers not only updated analysis on macro-economic and socio-economic indicators, but also provides a full picture of the education market of a given country.

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