KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's median monthly salaries and wages rose 7.7 percent to 2,424 ringgit (515 U.S. dollars) in 2022, from 2,250 ringgit in 2021, official data showed Wednesday.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement that the mean salaries and wages recorded a value of 3,212 ringgit in the year, increased by 5.8 percent as compared to 3,037 ringgit in 2021.

According to DOSM, the Malaysian government had increased the minimum wage to 1,500 ringgit starting from May 2022, as a measure that is expected to improve overall salaries and wages conditions in the country as compared to the previous years.

By economic activity, DOSM said all sectors registered increases in the mean monthly salaries and wages in 2022.

The services sector, the largest sector in the economy, recorded the highest number of salaries and wages recipients.

Meanwhile, the mean monthly salaries and wages for both urban and rural areas grew 5.1 percent and 10.5 percent year on year to 3,351 ringgit and 2,393 ringgit respectively.

"The rise in median and mean monthly salaries and wages was contributed by the continuous economic and social activities, supported by increasing tourist arrivals and improvements in the labor market, especially in the services sector," the DOSM concluded. (1 ringgit equals 0.21 U.S. dollar)