Malaysia has a population density of 280.3 people per square mile compared to 1,384 people in the Netherlands. Malaysia has 100,140 sq ft of land per person vs 22,360 sq ft in the Netherlands. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Malaysia and the Netherlands are ranked 85th and 17th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Malaysia has 0.44% of the world's population and 0.22% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.22% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for the Netherlands, hence the population density in Malaysia is 79.7% lower than in the Netherlands.
Population density comparison
Malaysia
|
Netherlands
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 280.3 ppl/mi² | 1,384 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 85/197 | 17/197 |
| Population |
36389490
|
18211637
|
| Land area | 126,854 sq mi | 13,000 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 99,458 sq ft | 20,142 sq ft |
| Rural population | 23.1% | 4.36% |
| Urban population | 76.9% | 95.6% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 5.57% | 0% |
Malaysia vs the Netherlands:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Malaysia increased by 40.8%, compared to a 10.8% growth in the Netherlands.
In 2004, Malaysia ranked 93rd for population density and is in 85th place now. The Netherlands was 15th in 2004 and ranks 17th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2024 | 280.3 | 1,384 |
| 2023 | 276.9 | 1,375 |
| 2022 | 273.5 | 1,362 |
| 2021 | 270.3 | 1,349 |
| 2020 | 267.2 | 1,342 |
| 2019 | 263.6 | 1,334 |
| 2018 | 259.4 | 1,326 |
| 2017 | 255.1 | 1,318 |
| 2016 | 250.6 | 1,310 |
| 2015 | 246.2 | 1,303 |
| 2014 | 242 | 1,297 |
| 2013 | 237.9 | 1,292 |
| 2012 | 233.8 | 1,287 |
| 2011 | 229.9 | 1,282 |
| 2010 | 225.9 | 1,276 |
| 2009 | 221.7 | 1,269 |
| 2008 | 217.3 | 1,262 |
| 2007 | 212.8 | 1,257 |
| 2006 | 208.3 | 1,254 |
| 2005 | 203.7 | 1,252 |
| 2004 | 199.1 | 1,249 |
| 2003 | 194.6 | 1,245 |
| 2002 | 190 | 1,239 |
| 2001 | 185.5 | 1,231 |
| 2000 | 181.1 | 1,222 |
| 1999 | 176.9 | 1,213 |
| 1998 | 172.7 | 1,205 |
| 1997 | 168.5 | 1,198 |
| 1996 | 164.4 | 1,191 |
| 1995 | 160.3 | 1,186 |
| 1994 | 156.2 | 1,180 |
| 1993 | 152.3 | 1,173 |
| 1992 | 148.5 | 1,165 |
| 1991 | 144.6 | 1,156 |
| 1990 | 140.6 | 1,147 |
| 1989 | 136.5 | 1,139 |
| 1988 | 132.4 | 1,132 |
| 1987 | 128.3 | 1,125 |
| 1986 | 124.2 | 1,118 |
| 1985 | 120.2 | 1,112 |
| 1984 | 116.3 | 1,107 |
| 1983 | 112.6 | 1,102 |
| 1982 | 109 | 1,098 |
| 1981 | 105.6 | 1,093 |
| 1980 | 102.3 | 1,086 |
| 1979 | 99.5 | 1,077 |
| 1978 | 97.2 | 1,070 |
| 1977 | 94.9 | 1,063 |
| 1976 | 92.6 | 1,057 |
| 1975 | 90.4 | 1,048 |
| 1974 | 88.3 | 1,039 |
| 1973 | 86.2 | 1,031 |
| 1972 | 84.2 | 1,023 |
| 1971 | 82.2 | 1,012 |
| 1970 | 80.2 | 1,000 |
| 1969 | 78.4 | 988 |
| 1968 | 76.7 | 977 |
| 1967 | 74.9 | 967 |
| 1966 | 73.2 | 956 |
| 1965 | 71.4 | 943 |
| 1964 | 69.6 | 930 |
| 1963 | 67.8 | 918 |
| 1962 | 66.1 | 906 |
| 1961 | 64.4 | 893 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2024 | 76.9% | 95.6% |
| 2023 | 76.4% | 95.3% |
| 2022 | 76% | 95% |
| 2021 | 75.5% | 94.6% |
| 2020 | 75.1% | 94.3% |
| 2019 | 74.8% | 93.9% |
| 2018 | 74.6% | 92.6% |
| 2017 | 74.2% | 91.1% |
| 2016 | 73.9% | 90.6% |
| 2015 | 73.4% | 90.3% |
| 2014 | 73% | 89.8% |
| 2013 | 72.5% | 89.2% |
| 2012 | 72% | 88.5% |
| 2011 | 71.4% | 88% |
| 2010 | 70.9% | 87.4% |
| 2009 | 70.2% | 86.2% |
| 2008 | 69.5% | 85.6% |
| 2007 | 68.8% | 85.4% |
| 2006 | 67.9% | 84.7% |
| 2005 | 67% | 83.5% |
| 2004 | 66.1% | 82.3% |
| 2003 | 65.1% | 81.3% |
| 2002 | 64.1% | 80.8% |
| 2001 | 63% | 80.2% |
| 2000 | 62% | 78.5% |
| 1999 | 60.9% | 77.1% |
| 1998 | 59.7% | 76.8% |
| 1997 | 58.5% | 75.6% |
| 1996 | 57.2% | 72.4% |
| 1995 | 55.9% | 70.7% |
| 1994 | 54.6% | 70.4% |
| 1993 | 53.2% | 69.8% |
| 1992 | 51.9% | 69.3% |
| 1991 | 50.5% | 69.2% |
| 1990 | 49% | 69% |
| 1989 | 47.4% | 68.8% |
| 1988 | 45.8% | 68.4% |
| 1987 | 44% | 68.2% |
| 1986 | 42.3% | 68% |
| 1985 | 40.6% | 67.6% |
| 1984 | 39% | 67.4% |
| 1983 | 37.5% | 66.9% |
| 1982 | 36.2% | 66.5% |
| 1981 | 35.1% | 65.7% |
| 1980 | 34.2% | 65% |
| 1979 | 33.6% | 64.8% |
| 1978 | 33% | 64.6% |
| 1977 | 32.4% | 64.6% |
| 1976 | 31.9% | 64.5% |
| 1975 | 31.4% | 64.4% |
| 1974 | 30.9% | 64.2% |
| 1973 | 30.5% | 63.5% |
| 1972 | 30.1% | 63.1% |
| 1971 | 29.8% | 62.8% |
| 1970 | 29.4% | 62.1% |
| 1969 | 29.1% | 61.8% |
| 1968 | 28.8% | 61.8% |
| 1967 | 28.5% | 61.6% |
| 1966 | 28.1% | 61.3% |
| 1965 | 27.8% | 61.2% |
| 1964 | 27.5% | 60.9% |
| 1963 | 27.2% | 60.3% |
| 1962 | 26.8% | 60.3% |
| 1961 | 26.5% | 60.1% |
| 1960 | 26.1% | 59.9% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 66.1% to 76.9% in Malaysia and from 82.3% to 95.6% in the Netherlands.
Densely populated cities
|
Malaysia
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Kuala Lumpur | 1.98M |
| Klang | 878K |
| Ipoh | 867K |
| Johor Bahru | 798K |
| George Town | 794K |
| Shah Alam | 741K |
| Subang Jaya | 708K |
| Petaling Jaya | 639K |
| Kuantan | 608K |
| Sungai Petani | 545K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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