DOSM: 2026 Economic Census enumeration in Sabah passes 60pc mark amid strong stakeholder support

KOTA KINABALU, June 28 — The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) in Sabah has completed the enumeration of more than 60 per cent of the nearly 90,000 business establishments targeted under the 2026 Economic Census (EC2026) in the state.

In a statement today, DOSM said the achievement reflects the strong cooperation extended by various stakeholders throughout the census exercise and marks encouraging progress towards meeting its enumeration target.

To further improve the response rate, DOSM Sabah recently held an EC2026 engagement session with professional bodies and business associations at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here.

Sabah Assistant Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Cooperatives Datuk Dr Jonnybone J. Kurum officiated the event, which was attended by representatives from professional bodies, business associations, government agencies and industry players.

Carrying the theme ‘Data: The Pulse of the People’s Economy’, EC2026 is the sixth economic census undertaken by DOSM to collect comprehensive data on the country’s economic performance and structure to support more effective and inclusive policy planning, implementation and evaluation.

Meanwhile, Jonnybone said EC2026 would play an important role in supporting Sabah’s development agenda under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 roadmap for 2026 to 2030.

“SMJ 2.0 focuses on high-value economic growth, human capital development, people’s well-being and environmental sustainability. Its successful implementation requires complete, accurate and up-to-date data to support policy planning, implementation and monitoring,” he said.

He said the state government is targeting Sabah’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to reach RM100 billion by 2030, in line with its aspiration to build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economy.

In 2024, Sabah’s GDP stood at RM84.3 billion, with the services sector remaining the largest contributor at RM44.2 billion, followed by mining and quarrying (RM18.6 billion), agriculture (RM12.2 billion), manufacturing (RM6.1 billion) and construction (RM3 billion).

“Based on the findings of the 2023 Economic Census, Sabah recorded 68,267 business establishments, generating a gross output of RM182.5 billion and value added of RM96.9 billion.

“These establishments employed 610,058 workers, with salaries and wages totalling RM14.6 billion, while the value of fixed assets stood at RM120.3 billion.

“The services sector remained the backbone of Sabah’s economy, accounting for 62,527 establishments, or more than 90 per cent of the state’s total, contributing RM47.7 billion in gross output and RM26.7 billion in value added, while employing 306,117 workers,” he added. — Bernama