The sports sector generated 198,400 jobs and contributed 1.3% to GDP, with sports services leading growth at 6.7%.
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’ sports industry provided 198,400 job opportunities in 2024, with the sector continuing to grow by 7.8 per cent to RM24.1 billion.
According to the Sports Satellite Accout 2024 report published by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) today, total employment in the sector accounted for 1.2 per cent of overall employment in the country, while the Gross Value Added of the Sports Industry (GVASI) contributed 1.3 per cent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said sports services (excluding wholesale and retail) recorded the largest contribution to sports industry employment at 40.8 per cent, followed by sports manufacturing at 30 per cent, sports wholesale and retail at 28.3 per cent and sports facility construction at 0.9 per cent.
“The growth of GVASI in 2024 was driven by sports services, excluding wholesale and retail, which expanded by 6.7 per cent compared to 11.5 per cent in the previous year.
“Sports services, excluding wholesale and retainl, also dominated GVASI, contributing 41.7 per cent of the total sports industry value, followed by sports wholesale and retail at 32.0 per cent, sports product manufacturing at 24.2 per cent and sports facility construction at 2.1 per cent,” he said in a statement.
He said that sports product exports amounted to RM10.3 billion in 2024 or 0.8 per cent of Malaysia’s total exports, while imports of sports products rose to RM7.2 billion, resulting in a net export value of RM3.1 billion.
Overall, he said, the sports industry continued to play an important role in the country’s economy through its contributions to economic growth, job creation and international trade activities.
