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ASIA

Well-Being and Labor Market Outcomes - 2023-2024

Malaysia, 2023 - 2024
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Reference ID
UNHCR_MYS_2023_WBLMR
Producer(s)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Joint Data Center (JDC)
Collections
Asia Pacific Socioeconomic Assessments
Metadata
Documentation in PDF DDI/XML JSON
Created on
Nov 24, 2025
Last modified
Sep 11, 2026
Page views
2842
Downloads
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  • Identification
  • Version
  • Scope
  • Coverage
  • Producers and sponsors
  • Sampling
  • Survey instrument
  • Data collection
  • Data Access
  • Contacts
  • Metadata production

    • Identification

    Survey ID number

    UNHCR_MYS_2023_WBLMR
    Title

    Well-Being and Labor Market Outcomes - 2023-2024
    Country
    Name Country code
    Malaysia MYS
    Study type

    Sample Frame, Households [sf/hh]
    Abstract

    The Malaysia: Well-Being and Labor Market Outcomes for Refugees in Malaysia (2023–2024) dataset is derived from the HARMONY Survey, the first large-scale, probability-based survey comparing refugee and host-community households in Malaysia. Conducted by UNHCR between December 2023 and April 2024 across Johor, Pulau Pinang, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur, the survey covers 3,967 households—including 2,533 refugee households and 1,434 host households—and collects detailed information on demographics, human capital, employment, income sources, living conditions, and access to services. The dataset provides evidence on refugees’ well-being and economic participation within Malaysia’s informal labor market and supports programme monitoring and analysis related to self-reliance and livelihood outcomes.
    Kind of Data

    Sample survey data [ssd]
    Unit of Analysis

    Household

    Version

    Version Description

    v2.1: Edited, cleaned, and anonymised data.
    Version Date

    2025-11-24

    Scope

    Notes

    The scope includes:

    • household demographics
    • employment and income
    • livelihoods and economic well-being
    • food security and market access
    • housing and basic services
    • health-seeking behavior
    • remittances and support networks
    Topics
    Topic
    Health
    Livelihood and Social cohesion
    Food security
    Keywords
    Labor market Malaysia

    Coverage

    Geographic Coverage

    Johor; Pulau Pinang; Selangor; Kuala Lumpur (Federal Territory), Malaysia
    Universe

    Refugee, asylum-seeker, and host-community households residing in selected areas of Malaysia.

    Producers and sponsors

    Primary investigators
    Name
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    Joint Data Center (JDC)

    Sampling

    Sampling Procedure

    Probability-based simple random sampling across Johor, Pulau Pinang, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur, covering 3,967 households including 2,533 refugee households and 1,434 host-community households.

    Survey instrument

    Questionnaires

    Structured household and individual questionnaires covering demographics, employment, livelihoods, income sources, housing conditions, food security, access to services, and well-being.

    Data collection

    Dates of Data Collection
    Start End
    2023-12-01 2024-04-30
    Mode of data collection
    • Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
    Data Collectors
    Name
    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
    Data Collection Notes

    Data were collected through face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) as part of the HARMONY Survey.

    Data Access

    Citation requirements

    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (2025). Malaysia: Well-Being and Labor Market Outcomes - 2023-2024. Accessed from: https://microdata.unhcr.org

    Contacts

    Contacts
    Name Affiliation Email
    Curation team UNHCR dencomdl@unhcr.org

    Metadata production

    DDI Document ID

    UNHCR_MYS_2023_WBLMR
    Producers
    Name
    UNHCR
    Date of Metadata Production

    2025-11-24
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