By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 28: Sarawak’s economic structure is set for a comprehensive mapping under the Economic Census 2026, which will capture data from 83,463 business establishments across the State.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Sarawak has been stepping up engagement efforts following a State-level session held on June 24 at Dewan Majma’ Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah here, which gathered more than 200 participants comprising government agencies, industry players, business associations and entrepreneurs.
The engagement session was officiated by Deputy Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak Datuk Dr Malcom Mussen Lamoh, alongside Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.
According to a press release, the Economic Census 2026, themed “Data Nadi Ekonomi Rakyat”, will run from Jan 5 to Oct 31, covering five key sectors — services, manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, and agriculture.
At the national level, more than 1.4 million establishments will be involved, with Sarawak accounting for 83,463, underscoring the State’s significant role in Malaysia’s economic structure.
In Sarawak, the services sector dominates with 68,748 establishments or 82.4 per cent, followed by construction (8,852), manufacturing (3,710), agriculture (1,952), and mining and quarrying (201).
DOSM said the census will collect comprehensive data from both registered and unregistered businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large firms and non-profit organisations.
The data will cover productivity, employment, investment, technology adoption and competitiveness, which will later be used to refine key national economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), industrial indices and input-output tables.
Based on the Economic Census 2023, Sarawak recorded 70,626 establishments, with gross output of RM356.6 billion and value added of RM165.4 billion, while 624,361 workers were employed across sectors.
The services sector remained the largest contributor, accounting for 89.8 per cent of establishments and more than half of total employment.
Sarawak also contributed 9.0 per cent to Malaysia’s GDP in 2024, with a total value of RM148.2 billion, driven mainly by services, manufacturing and mining and quarrying.
DOSM said the upcoming census will provide more detailed, data-driven insights to support the State’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which aims to position Sarawak as a high-income and developed economy through innovation and strategic planning.
The census will adopt the updated Malaysia Standard Industrial Classification (MSIC) 2025, reflecting emerging sectors such as the digital economy, innovation-driven industries and renewable energy.
Data collection will be conducted through multiple channels including online submissions, telephone interviews, email, postal forms and face-to-face engagement to ensure wider coverage and accuracy. — DayakDaily
