Beaufort

Situation

Beaufort is classified as a services-led towns & suburbs district with a recent boundary change (Membakut carved out in 2024) D1.

Median household income in 2024 was RM 4,070, which is in line with its structural peers D1D32.

Official real GDP is published to 2020 (RM 766.6 million) and model nowcasts project recovery and gradual growth through 2028 under the baseline scenario D9D52D56.

Recent trends show weak income momentum and persistent labour-market weakness since 2019–2024 D12D26.

Strengths

• Median household income is in line with structural peers in 2024 D32.
• GDP per capita (2020) is in line with peers, supporting a baseline economic position comparable to its peers D33.
• Universal access to electricity and improved sanitation are achieved and in line with peers D34D35.

Constraints

• Unemployment is a clear concern: the 2024 unemployment rate was 9.4%, well above the peer median D26.
• Absolute poverty is a district-level concern with a 2024 rate of 20.4% above the peer median D27.
• Real GDP growth over 2015–2020 was below peers, indicating limited recent competitive dynamism D28.
• Driver analysis associates higher unemployment strongly with higher poverty in Beaufort, making labour-market repair central to welfare gains D63.
• Drivers also indicate lower-than-expected income is associated with local unemployment and lower GDP per capita D62.

Options

• Expand targeted active labour-market and skills programmes linked to local demand (hire subsidies, TVET uplift). Evidence: moderate; the Twelfth Malaysia Plan emphasises labour-market and TVET reform as national strategy and structural peers have improved with labour-focused momentum R1D42.
• Prioritise rural and transport infrastructure upgrades to unlock connectivity for services and agriculture. Evidence: limited; the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and its regional-balance chapter list expanded rural infrastructure as a priority but this is a plan-level precedent rather than an evaluated district result R2R4.
• Promote services-sector firm growth and digital inclusion (SME support, digital infrastructure) to build on the district’s services orientation. Evidence: moderate; national strategy texts promote digital infrastructure and services growth and positive-deviant peers improved welfare while having stronger connectivity indicators R1D42.

Uncertainties

• The 2024 boundary change (Membakut carved out) affects comparability of 2024 household and welfare series and complicates trend interpretation D1.
• District real GDP is only officially published to 2020; 2021–2028 values are model nowcasts/projections with substantial 80% intervals D48D49D56.
• Forecasts have non-zero backtest errors (income 2‑yr absolute error 7.1%; gdp_real 1–3yr errors 2.0%/1.0%/4.3%), introducing model uncertainty D47D57.

What data would change this view

• Updated official district-level real GDP beyond 2020 would materially change assessments of growth and competitive effects D48D49.
• Post-2024 subdistrict (or small-area) household income and poverty microdata that account for the Membakut split would clarify true welfare trends D1D12.
• Quarterly or annual employment-by-industry and vacancy data for Beaufort would resolve whether unemployment is structural or cyclical and guide targeted labour-market interventions D26D63.