Malaysia retained the number one position in the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI) in the State of the Global Islamic Economy 2025/26 report, the 12th edition, published by DinarStandard.
The numbers
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Malaysia |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia |
| 4 | Indonesia |
| 5 | Bahrain |
Malaysia leads in three sectors
The GIEI covers seven sectors. Malaysia places first in halal food, Islamic finance, and halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; second in media and recreation; and fourth in Muslim-friendly travel and modest fashion.
For a Malaysian factory, first place in halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics is an export sales argument that can be sourced.
The top five order has changed
In the 2024/25 edition the order was Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain. In 2025/26 it is Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Bahrain. Anyone quoting the old order is out of date.
"Consecutive years" — who actually says what
The "12 consecutive years" figure circulates widely. It does have a source: HDC chairman Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh told Bernama on 4 June 2026 that Malaysia "has maintained the top ranking for 12 consecutive years".
But DinarStandard, which publishes the indicator, counts differently: it said "11th year" for the 2024/25 edition, and gives no count at all for 2025/26. Other reporting says "nine years".
So: quote it with attribution — "according to HDC, 12 consecutive years" — not as a figure from the indicator's own publisher. What no source disputes is that Malaysia holds first place in SGIE 2025/26.
About these figures
The data on this page covers the 2025/26 edition and was published by DinarStandard. Halal statistics are revised and reissued; check the linked source before quoting a figure in a filing or a pitch. Where an official body has not published a number, we say so rather than estimate one.