Economic recovery is now back in focus, against a backdrop of increased vaccination coverage and the reopening of economic sectors. While the global spread of COVID-19 was swift and far-reaching, its impact and recovery trajectory appears uneven, as a new World Bank survey reveals. In particular, Malaysian households, which braved the pandemic with resilience, now find themselves increasingly vulnerable.

To better understand the distribution of impacts and speed of recovery among Malaysians, the World Bank’s COVID-19 High Frequency (HiFi) Household Monitoring Survey was conducted between May 18–June 16, 2021. This nationally representative survey involved 2,210 adult respondents across all states via phone interviews.