KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's direct investment abroad (DIA) recorded a higher net outflow amounting to 33.9 billion ringgit (8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, compared to 30.1 billion ringgit in 2023, official data showed Wednesday.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement that the DIA income climbed to 43.2 billion ringgit in 2024 from 40.9 billion ringgit in 2023.

Meanwhile, the DIA position declined from 638.8 billion ringgit in 2023 to 622.1 billion ringgit in 2024 as at the end of 2024.

Focusing on the key sectors contributing to Malaysia's DIA net outflow, the services sector accounted for the largest outflows with 28.7 billion ringgit.

The outflows were also contributed by mining and quarrying and construction sectors with 4.3 billion ringgit and 1.4 billion ringgit, respectively.

Pertaining to the income from Malaysia's DIA, the services sector led with a total income of 31.4 billion ringgit.

Similarly, the services sector also remained the major contributor for the DIA position, totaling 463.7 billion ringgit.

In terms of region, Asia was the largest contributor for DIA flows with a value of 26.5 billion ringgit, primarily directed towards Singapore and Indonesia.

Asia also generated the highest income from DIA in 2024, amounting to 26.6 billion ringgit.

As at the end of 2024, the Asia region remained ahead of other regions with a DIA position of 349.7 billion ringgit. (1 ringgit equals 0.24 U.S. dollars) ■