Malaysia has a population density of 287 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Malaysia has 100,140 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Malaysia and Sri Lanka rank 85th and 25th 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 0.27% of the population and 0.04% of the land area for Sri Lanka, making the population density in Malaysia 69.1% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Malaysia
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2026 | 287 | 928 |
| 2025 | 283.7 | 923 |
| 2024 | 280.3 | 918 |
| 2023 | 276.9 | 923 |
| 2022 | 273.5 | 929 |
| 2021 | 270.3 | 928 |
| 2020 | 267.2 | 918 |
| 2019 | 263.6 | 913 |
| 2018 | 259.4 | 907 |
| 2017 | 255.1 | 898 |
| 2016 | 250.6 | 888 |
| 2015 | 246.2 | 878 |
| 2014 | 242 | 858 |
| 2013 | 237.9 | 850 |
| 2012 | 233.8 | 874 |
| 2011 | 229.9 | 868 |
| 2010 | 225.9 | 862 |
| 2009 | 221.7 | 857 |
| 2008 | 217.3 | 852 |
| 2007 | 212.8 | 846 |
| 2006 | 208.3 | 841 |
| 2005 | 203.7 | 835 |
| 2004 | 199.1 | 830 |
| 2003 | 194.6 | 824 |
| 2002 | 190 | 818 |
| 2001 | 185.5 | 810 |
| 2000 | 181.1 | 797 |
| 1999 | 176.9 | 782 |
| 1998 | 172.7 | 768 |
| 1997 | 168.5 | 754 |
| 1996 | 164.4 | 739 |
| 1995 | 160.3 | 725 |
| 1994 | 156.2 | 714 |
| 1993 | 152.3 | 703 |
| 1992 | 148.5 | 691 |
| 1991 | 144.6 | 680 |
| 1990 | 140.6 | 675 |
| 1989 | 136.5 | 671 |
| 1988 | 132.4 | 664 |
| 1987 | 128.3 | 657 |
| 1986 | 124.2 | 650 |
| 1985 | 120.2 | 642 |
| 1984 | 116.3 | 638 |
| 1983 | 112.6 | 636 |
| 1982 | 109 | 631 |
| 1981 | 105.6 | 624 |
| 1980 | 102.3 | 613 |
| 1979 | 99.5 | 602 |
| 1978 | 97.2 | 591 |
| 1977 | 94.9 | 580 |
| 1976 | 92.6 | 570 |
| 1975 | 90.4 | 560 |
| 1974 | 88.3 | 550 |
| 1973 | 86.2 | 539 |
| 1972 | 84.2 | 529 |
| 1971 | 82.2 | 518 |
| 1970 | 80.2 | 507 |
| 1969 | 78.4 | 496 |
| 1968 | 76.7 | 485 |
| 1967 | 74.9 | 473 |
| 1966 | 73.2 | 462 |
| 1965 | 71.4 | 451 |
| 1964 | 69.6 | 440 |
| 1963 | 67.8 | 429 |
| 1962 | 66.1 | 419 |
| 1961 | 64.4 | 409 |
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/sri-lanka | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Malaysia increased by 37.8%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2006, Malaysia ranked 92nd by population density and is 85th now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Malaysia
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 287 ppl/mi² | 928 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 85/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
36512221
|
22185425
|
| Land area | 126,854 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 99,458 sq ft | 30,382 sq ft |
| Rural population | 23.1% | 79.7% |
| Urban population | 76.9% | 20.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 24.7% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Malaysia
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 76.9% | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 76.4% | 20.1% |
| 2022 | 76% | 20% |
| 2021 | 75.5% | 19.8% |
| 2020 | 75.1% | 19.7% |
| 2019 | 74.8% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | 74.6% | 19.3% |
| 2017 | 74.2% | 19.2% |
| 2016 | 73.9% | 19% |
| 2015 | 73.4% | 18.8% |
| 2014 | 73% | 18.6% |
| 2013 | 72.5% | 18.4% |
| 2012 | 72% | 18.3% |
| 2011 | 71.4% | 17.8% |
| 2010 | 70.9% | 17.2% |
| 2009 | 70.2% | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 69.5% | 16.3% |
| 2007 | 68.8% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 67.9% | 15.5% |
| 2005 | 67% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 66.1% | 14.9% |
| 2003 | 65.1% | 14.7% |
| 2002 | 64.1% | 14.6% |
| 2001 | 63% | 14.6% |
| 2000 | 62% | 14.6% |
| 1999 | 60.9% | 14.7% |
| 1998 | 59.7% | 14.9% |
| 1997 | 58.5% | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 57.2% | 15.5% |
| 1995 | 55.9% | 15.9% |
| 1994 | 54.6% | 16.3% |
| 1993 | 53.2% | 16.7% |
| 1992 | 51.9% | 17.1% |
| 1991 | 50.5% | 17.6% |
| 1990 | 49% | 18.1% |
| 1989 | 47.4% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 45.8% | 19% |
| 1987 | 44% | 19.5% |
| 1986 | 42.3% | 19.9% |
| 1985 | 40.6% | 20.3% |
| 1984 | 39% | 20.7% |
| 1983 | 37.5% | 21% |
| 1982 | 36.2% | 21.3% |
| 1981 | 35.1% | 21.5% |
| 1980 | 34.2% | 21.6% |
| 1979 | 33.6% | 21.8% |
| 1978 | 33% | 21.9% |
| 1977 | 32.4% | 22% |
| 1976 | 31.9% | 22.1% |
| 1975 | 31.4% | 22.2% |
| 1974 | 30.9% | 22.3% |
| 1973 | 30.5% | 22.4% |
| 1972 | 30.1% | 22.4% |
| 1971 | 29.8% | 22.4% |
| 1970 | 29.4% | 22.3% |
| 1969 | 29.1% | 22% |
| 1968 | 28.8% | 21.5% |
| 1967 | 28.5% | 21% |
| 1966 | 28.1% | 20.4% |
| 1965 | 27.8% | 19.8% |
| 1964 | 27.5% | 19.3% |
| 1963 | 27.2% | 18.9% |
| 1962 | 26.8% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 26.5% | 18% |
| 1960 | 26.1% | 17.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/malaysia/sri-lanka | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 66.1% to 76.9% in Malaysia and from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka.
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 |
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Colombo | 648K |
| Gampaha | 191K |
| Beruwala | 165K |
| Negombo | 142K |
| Kandy | 120K |
| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | 116K |
| Trincomalee | 99.1K |
| Galle | 93.1K |
| Matara | 68.2K |
| Anuradhapura | 63.2K |
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/sri-lanka | CC BY
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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 (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
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