Malaysia has a population density of 287 people per square mile compared to 1,402 people in the Netherlands. Malaysia has 100,140 sq ft of land per person vs 22,360 sq ft in the Netherlands. Malaysia and the Netherlands rank 85th and 17th by population density, 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 all countries' land area, compared to 0.22% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for the Netherlands, making the population density in Malaysia 79.5% lower than in the Netherlands.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Malaysia
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2026 | 287 | 1,402 |
| 2025 | 283.7 | 1,394 |
| 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 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/malaysia/netherlands | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Malaysia increased by 37.8%, compared to a 11.8% growth in the Netherlands.
In 2006, Malaysia ranked 92nd by population density and is 85th now. The Netherlands was 15th in 2006 and ranks 17th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Malaysia
|
Netherlands
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 287 ppl/mi² | 1,402 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 85/197 | 17/197 |
| Population |
36512221
|
18252623
|
| 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 | 24.7% | 0% |
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% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/malaysia/netherlands | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of 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 | 9M |
| Klang | 878K |
| Ipoh | 867K |
| Johor Bahru | 798K |
| George Town | 794K |
| Shah Alam | 741K |
| Subang Jaya | 708K |
| Petaling Jaya | 639K |
| Kuantan | 608K |
| Sungai Petani | 545K |
|
Netherlands
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Amsterdam | 921K |
| Rotterdam | 664K |
| The Hague | 548K |
| Utrecht | 359K |
| Eindhoven | 244K |
| Groningen | 238K |
| Tilburg | 228K |
| Almere | 215K |
| Breda | 188K |
| Nijmegen | 177K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/malaysia/netherlands | CC BY
Help us show the world through your eyes
Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.
Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Wikidata (2010–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.