Malaysia’s health and wellness landscape is advancing on the back of preventive‑care policies, a flourishing fitness scene, and rapid adoption of real‑time payment methods and digital wallets.

Thinking of expanding your operations into Malaysia?

Before you do, check out this guide to explore Malaysia’s market size, consumer behaviours, payment preferences, challenges, and opportunities.

Market size

Malaysia’s health & wellness market reached an estimated USD 11.42 billion (MYR 53.8 billion) in 2024 and is projected to grow to USD 17.95 billion (MYR 84.6 billion) by 2033 (IMARC Group, 2025).

Preventive health spending and digital wellness are rising, with coaching/fitness apps revenue forecast to reach ~USD 88.6 million (MYR 417 million) in 2025 and grow at ~7.8% CAGR to 2030 (Statista, 2025).

Government investment under Budget 2025 prioritises a shift from “sick care” to “wellness care,” strengthening primary healthcare and health equity (Bernama, 2025).

Fitness landscape

Malaysia’s gym ecosystem spans large chains (Anytime Fitness, Celebrity Fitness, Fitness First) and fast‑growing boutique studios across urban centres.

As of September 2025, there are ~4,903 gyms nationwide, concentrated in Selangor (1,284) and Johor (620), with Kuala Lumpur hosting ~491 facilities (Poidata.io, 2025).

Boutique formats (Pilates, yoga, HIIT) continue to expand, reflecting global class‑based trends and premium price points (Marianatek, 2025).

Digital payments

Malaysia is rapidly embracing cashless payments, led by PayNet’s interoperable rails (DuitNow Transfer & DuitNow QR), MyDebit, and FPX.

In June 2025, monthly digital wallet transactions reached ~545.4 million (Data.gov.my, 2025).

Consumer uptake of QR and e‑wallets is broadening: Ipsos reported e‑wallet adoption rose 14% YoY in 2024, with Touch ’n Go the most used wallet and MAE by Maybank second (Malay Mail, 2024).

PayNet processed more than USD 1.11 trillion (RM 5.2 trillion) in transaction value in 2023 – over three times Malaysia’s real GDP – highlighting the maturity of national payment infrastructure (The Edge Malaysia, 2024).

Cross‑border QR acceptance via DuitNow QR continues to expand (Alipay+, Weixin Pay, UnionPay QR, NETS, QRIS, PromptPay), improving tourist and regional B2C flows (TechTRP, 2025).

Government initiatives

MOH (Malaysia’s Ministry of Health, or Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, abbreviated as KKM) is scaling “Wellness Hubs” nationwide as part of its preventive health strategy. These community-based centres promote healthy lifestyles and reduce non-communicable disease (NCD) risks through structured programs such as weight management, fitness coaching, smoking cessation, and health risk assessments.

The initiative also leverages digital engagement via webinars and social media to broaden reach. Since inception, the hubs have impacted over 1.4 million Malaysians, delivering measurable outcomes like improved fitness, weight loss, and reduced smoking rates. Currently, 33 hubs are operational, with a target of 81 by 2033, aligning with the National Healthy Agenda and Health White Paper goals (Malay Mail, 2025).

Malaysia’s NCD strategy emphasises prevention, supported by a World Health Organisation investment case showing significant returns from salt-reduction and tobacco-control packages to improve citizens’ quality of life (WHO, 2025). Targeted programmes such as mQuit and the Lung Health Initiative expand screening and smoking-cessation access in partnership with NGOs (Cancer Matters Malaysia, 2025).

Boutique fitness trends

Urban consumers are gravitating to premium, class‑based studios (Pilates, indoor cycling, barre) and recovery‑led offerings, mirroring global boutique growth and price resilience (Marianatek, 2025).

Local studio ecosystems are diversifying beyond traditional gyms, with design‑led brands and tech‑enabled coaching enriching the experience (Top10Malaysia, 2025).

Corporate wellness

Malaysia’s corporate wellness market was ~USD 297.8 million in 2024 and is projected to reach ~USD 507.9 million by 2033 (IMARC Group, 2025).

Workplace well‑being remains a priority: surveys in 2025 highlight gaps in psychological safety and rising psychosocial risk, reinforcing demand for structured, measurable programmes (Aon Malaysia Pulse Survey, 2025; Stoly, 2025).

Challenges

• Cash reliance persists: Despite strong digital rails, small vendors still rely heavily on cash, limiting QR adoption in rural areas (Giiresearch, 2025).
  
  
• Urban‑rural divide: Gym participation remains concentrated in cities, leaving rural communities underserved (The Shiv, 2025).
  
  
• Affordability pressure: Economic headwinds and rising living costs challenge premium fitness pricing (The Shiv, 2025).
  
  
• Fragmented boutique market: Independent studios face scalability issues and high churn without tech‑enabled retention strategies (Marianatek, 2025).
  
  
• Corporate wellness gaps: Employers struggle to measure ROI and integrate mental health into holistic programmes (Aon Malaysia Pulse Survey, 2025).

Ezypay is Malaysia-ready!

Malaysia’s wellness momentum aligns with Ezypay’s strengths in simplifying recurring billing across fitness.

With a growing list of partner solutions and integrations, Ezypay has the right solution for every health, wellness and fitness business, including GymMaster, Hapana, Membr, and Perfect Gym.

See the full list here: https://www.ezypay.com/partner-directory 

Recurring billing made simple: Automate subscription payments to reduce admin and improve cash flow for gyms and studios.

Solving local challenges: Support compliant, transparent collections across prepaid packages, add‑ons, and multi‑site operations.

Flexible solutions for growth: From boutique fitness to large chains, scale securely with flexible billing cycles and direct debit/cards/QR options.

Seamless integrations: Connect to leading fitness software and enable payment methods Malaysians use daily.

Local language support: our support team speaks the same language as your customers, improving customer service for everyone.

Advanced settlement: Ezypay makes it easy to settle funds to multiple accounts so you can easily split payments up between franchise locations, vendors, suppliers and more.

Sources: 

• https://www.imarcgroup.com/malaysia-health-wellness-market
• https://www.statista.com/outlook/hmo/digital-health/digital-fitness-well-being/health-wellness-coaching/malaysia 
• https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2353923  
• https://www.poidata.io/report/gym/malaysia 
• https://www.marianatek.com/resources/2025-boutique-fitness-trends-report/
• https://data.gov.my/dashboard/electronic-payments 
• https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/11/29/majority-of-malaysians-now-use-cashless-payments-ipsos-poll-says/158401 
• https://theedgemalaysia.com/content/advertise/transforming-payments-paynet_s-role-in-shaping-malaysia_s-digital-future  
• https://techtrp.com/press-releases/2025/10/22/pos-malaysia-and-fiuu-improve-convenience-of-cash-on-delivery-with-paynets-duitnow-qr/
• https://www.who.int/westernpacific/newsroom/feature-stories/item/transforming-health--malaysia-s-rm-30-billion-ncd-strategy 
• https://cancermatters.cancer.org.my/2025/02/27/moh-launches-lung-health-initiative-and-mquit-amid-growing-concerns-over-respiratory-diseases/
• https://top10malaysia.com/top-10-most-outstanding-malaysian-gym-studios/
• https://www.imarcgroup.com/malaysia-corporate-wellness-market 
• https://explorehumancapital.aon.com/rs/851-LXZ-252/images/Aon%20Malaysia%20Pulse%20Survey%20Report%202025%20-%20Benefits%20Trends%20%26%20Wellbeing.pdf 
• https://thestoly.com/2025/02/the-2025-malaysia-well-beingwork-index-report-highlights-concerning-trends-and-widening-demographic-gaps-in-workplace-well-being/ 
• https://www.giiresearch.com/report/moi1692123-malaysia-payments-market-share-analysis-industry.html 
• https://the-shiv.com/malaysias-health-fitness-industry/