KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Malaysia is on track to exceed its official full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast of 4.8 to 5.3 per cent after the economy expanded by 5.5 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, economists said.

The Finance Ministry, in its Economic Outlook 2027 report, raised its 2026 real GDP growth projection to 4.8 to 5.3 per cent, up from 4.0 to 4.5 per cent in Budget 2026.

Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng, director of the economic studies programme at Sunway University’s Jeffrey Cheah Institute, said third-quarter (Q3) GDP growth of 5.3 per cent affirmed the economy’s resilience despite continuing geopolitical uncertainty and persistent global oil shocks.

“With growth hitting 5.5 per cent in the first three quarters, the economy is on track to exceed the full-year official 4.8-5.3 per cent GDP growth expectation,” he told Bernama.