KUCHING: The mean monthly household income in Sarawak rose from RM5,959 in 2019 to RM6,457 in 2022, representing an increase of 8.4 per cent over the three-year period.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said concurrently, the median monthly household income also experienced significant progress, reaching RM4,978 in 2022, compared to RM4,544 in 2019, signifying a notable growth of 9.6 per cent.
He said according to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the total monthly household income in Sarawak experienced an upward trend, reaching RM3.9 billion in 2022, compared to RM3.7 billion in 2019.
The monthly mean household gross income in Sarawak in the urban area increased to RM7,744 in 2022 from RM7,243 in 2019.
Meanwhile, in the rural area, the monthly mean household gross income reached RM4,579 in 2022, compared to RM4,218 in 2019, showing an increase of 8.6 per cent.
“I am happy to share that the statistic highlights a positive growth trend in mean monthly household incomes for both urban and rural areas in Sarawak.
“Particularly, the rural areas experienced slightly higher increases in household gross incomes, showcasing the Sarawak government’s efforts in ensuring balanced development and inclusive growth throughout the state ,” he said.
Abang Johari was speaking at a press conference after visiting Sibu Flood Mitigation Project (Phase 3) at Batang Rajang and the site of the redevelopment of Kampung Datu in Sibu today (Aug 7).
He was confident that Sarawak is on the right track to become a developed state by 2030; which was also proven when the World Bank recently acknowledged Sarawak as a high-income state.
“As everyone is already aware, we are aiming to increase the average household income from RM4,544 in 2019 to RM15,000 per month as we move toward becoming a developed state by 2030.
“I believed we are already on the right track. Additionally, the high-income status by the World Bank also correlates with our revenue whereby Sarawak recorded revenue of RM11.9 billion last year, the highest revenue performance ever achieved in the state’s history,” he said.
With the increased revenue, he said, the Sarawak government has raised the ceiling of 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review from RM30 billion to RM38 billion.
He said this was to accelerate the infrastructure development throughout the state to facilitate inclusive socio-economic development.
“Through a series of targeted high impact development programmes, we aim to foster a society where no one is left behind and opportunities are accessible to all.
“On that note, the Sarawak government also invests in human capital development to ensure our people are equipped with the right skills to increase their average household income to RM15,000 per month by 2030,” he added.
Among those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian and Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee.
