Malaysia Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Malaysia is 36,512,221 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 35,557,673 in 2024.

For the last 20 years, Malaysia has had an average growth rate of 1.91% per year.
Malaysia accounts for 0.44% of the world's population.
Malaysia is ranked 45/197 by population and was ranked 44th in 2006.
Since 2006, population has increased from 26.4M people to 36.5M (38.2% growth in 20 years).
Malaysia is projected to reach 46.7M people in 2073.

Malaysia population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	44,353,615	-0.26%
2099	44,467,475	-0.25%
2098	44,579,971	-0.26%
2097	44,695,979	-0.27%
2096	44,814,885	-0.26%
2095	44,932,404	-0.26%
2094	45,047,479	-0.26%
2093	45,165,126	-0.25%
2092	45,278,674	-0.25%
2091	45,390,002	-0.25%
2090	45,501,495	-0.24%
2089	45,610,046	-0.24%
2088	45,717,882	-0.23%
2087	45,823,085	-0.23%
2086	45,926,712	-0.2%
2085	46,020,742	-0.2%
2084	46,111,490	-0.2%
2083	46,202,286	-0.18%
2082	46,284,929	-0.16%
2081	46,359,700	-0.16%
2080	46,435,482	-0.13%
2079	46,496,102	-0.11%
2078	46,549,167	-0.1%
2077	46,594,188	-0.05%
2076	46,619,045	-0.05%
2075	46,643,115	-0.03%
2074	46,658,350	-0.03%
2073	46,670,848	0.001%
2072	46,670,426	0.02%
2071	46,660,436	0.03%
2070	46,645,623	0.05%
2069	46,623,238	0.05%
2068	46,600,060	0.07%
2067	46,569,264	0.08%
2066	46,530,377	0.1%
2065	46,481,890	0.14%
2064	46,417,369	0.14%
2063	46,350,674	0.17%
2062	46,272,105	0.2%
2061	46,178,092	0.22%
2060	46,075,877	0.25%
2059	45,958,718	0.26%
2058	45,837,407	0.28%
2057	45,707,213	0.31%
2056	45,566,357	0.32%
2055	45,418,953	0.37%
2054	45,252,995	0.41%
2053	45,069,089	0.43%
2052	44,873,927	0.46%
2051	44,668,767	0.5%
2050	44,445,677	0.52%
2049	44,217,593	0.55%
2048	43,974,925	0.6%
2047	43,712,325	0.63%
2046	43,438,283	0.65%
2045	43,157,909	0.68%
2044	42,866,716	0.73%
2043	42,557,941	0.75%
2042	42,239,980	0.76%
2041	41,922,379	0.78%
2040	41,598,231	0.79%
2039	41,270,953	0.84%
2038	40,929,067	0.85%
2037	40,584,773	0.87%
2036	40,234,128	0.9%
2035	39,876,375	0.91%
2034	39,515,857	0.93%
2033	39,152,086	0.98%
2032	38,772,414	1.01%
2031	38,386,293	1.03%
2030	37,995,617	1.03%
2029	37,606,753	1.07%
2028	37,207,852	1.09%
2027	36,806,585	1.11%
2026	36,403,076	1.16%
2025	35,987,113	1.21%
2024	35,557,673	1.23%
2023	35,126,298	1.24%
2022	34,695,493	1.2%
2021	34,282,399	1.16%
2020	33,889,558	1.34%
2019	33,440,596	1.61%
2018	32,910,967	1.72%
2017	32,355,644	1.78%
2016	31,789,685	1.78%
2015	31,232,798	1.75%
2014	30,696,137	1.73%
2013	30,174,265	1.72%
2012	29,662,831	1.72%
2011	29,162,039	1.77%
2010	28,655,776	1.89%
2009	28,124,778	2.01%
2008	27,570,059	2.12%
2007	26,998,389	2.2%
2006	26,417,909	2.25%
2005	25,836,071	2.29%
2004	25,256,772	2.34%
2003	24,679,602	2.39%
2002	24,102,477	2.45%
2001	23,526,538	2.43%
2000	22,967,816	2.37%
1999	22,435,531	2.41%
1998	21,906,713	2.49%
1997	21,375,218	2.52%
1996	20,850,087	2.56%
1995	20,330,599	2.57%
1994	19,820,446	2.58%
1993	19,322,664	2.59%
1992	18,834,572	2.68%
1991	18,342,464	2.86%
1990	17,833,171	2.99%
1989	17,314,997	3.09%
1988	16,796,605	3.19%
1987	16,276,737	3.28%
1986	15,760,419	3.33%
1985	15,252,258	3.34%
1984	14,759,009	3.31%
1983	14,285,907	3.28%
1982	13,832,798	3.24%
1981	13,399,203	3.2%
1980	12,983,363	2.82%
1979	12,627,862	2.43%
1978	12,328,157	2.43%
1977	12,035,713	2.43%
1976	11,750,097	2.42%
1975	11,471,914	2.42%
1974	11,200,906	2.43%
1973	10,935,621	2.42%
1972	10,676,835	2.43%
1971	10,423,453	2.4%
1970	10,178,802	2.32%
1969	9,947,597	2.29%
1968	9,725,281	2.29%
1967	9,507,099	2.4%
1966	9,284,688	2.52%
1965	9,056,408	2.58%
1964	8,828,406	2.63%
1963	8,602,160	2.65%
1962	8,380,172	2.64%
1961	8,164,443	2.62%
1960	7,956,197	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/malaysia | CC BY

Malaysia has a population of 36.5M as of 2026, compared to 31.8M in 2016, 26.4M in 2006, and 20.9M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.49% per year. Malaysia is ranked 86th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Malaysia will have 43,438,283 people (19% growth) with a rank change from 45th to 48th.

By the year 2100, Malaysia's population is projected to grow by 21.5% from its current level to 44.4M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	166,615
2024	-	-	174,770
2023	435,877	254,806	181,071
2022	425,714	237,560	188,154
2021	400,508	212,002	188,506
2020	385,189	283,282	101,907
2019	512,710	309,426	203,284
2018	546,533	324,568	221,965
2017	564,111	336,434	227,677
2016	567,822	345,681	222,141
2015	545,965	358,302	187,663
2014	527,378	367,587	159,791
2013	516,375	366,738	149,637
2012	506,472	371,497	134,975
2011	495,105	372,836	122,269
2010	517,424	360,260	157,164
2009	544,567	366,157	178,410
2008	564,861	362,380	202,481
2007	578,495	348,711	229,784
2006	582,480	349,509	232,971
2005	581,188	355,324	225,864
2004	577,416	365,138	212,278
2003	576,935	377,425	199,510
2002	577,311	381,084	196,227
2001	574,552	400,939	173,613
2000	542,870	417,371	125,499
1999	521,690	432,355	89,335
1998	535,955	436,316	99,639
1997	527,034	447,768	79,266
1996	523,214	450,174	73,040
1995	515,742	443,349	72,393
1994	504,558	437,873	66,685
1993	490,989	429,910	61,079
1992	485,186	418,900	66,286
1991	499,049	401,938	97,111
1990	519,538	384,518	135,020
1989	516,821	373,277	143,544
1988	519,985	386,507	133,478
1987	519,758	381,999	137,759
1986	512,880	385,799	127,081
1985	503,458	383,243	120,215
1984	483,045	376,797	106,248
1983	463,152	365,290	97,862
1982	443,080	353,138	89,942
1981	424,133	339,991	84,142
1980	407,564	326,947	80,617
1979	303,459	317,439	-13,980
1978	295,968	311,027	-15,059
1977	288,914	305,515	-16,601
1976	282,299	300,615	-18,316
1975	274,061	294,541	-20,480
1974	267,961	289,880	-21,919
1973	262,616	284,611	-21,995
1972	254,958	276,263	-21,305
1971	251,788	272,323	-20,535
1970	237,502	269,341	-31,839
1969	224,907	264,327	-39,420
1968	219,709	260,705	-40,996
1967	216,656	258,764	-42,108
1966	228,169	262,162	-33,993
1965	228,380	264,836	-36,456
1964	227,621	266,406	-38,785
1963	224,863	265,815	-40,952
1962	219,107	262,140	-43,033
1961	212,354	257,270	-44,916
1960	204,142	251,090	-46,948

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/malaysia | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 61.7% of the population change in Malaysia is from natural causes (a gain of 3,029,648 people) and 38.3% is from migration (a gain of 1,882,159 people).

As of 2024, 3,806,514 residents or 10.7% of the population were not native-born in Malaysia, compared to 3,086,876 and 10.8% in 2010.

Malaysia population clock

	Malaysia	Rank
Current population	36512221	45/197
Percent of world population	0.44%	45/197
One net population change	1.22 minutes	46/197
One birth every	1.21 minutes	59/196
One death every	2.9 minutes	60/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,182	46/197
Annual growth/decline	+431,375	46/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.23%	89/197
One migration net change every	3.16 minutes	7/196
Annual migration change	+166,615	7/196
Foreign-born residents	3,806,514	18/195
Foreign-born share of population	10.7%	62/195

Largest cities by population

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

Malaysia population statistics

	Malaysia	World
Life expectancy	77.2 years	73.8 years
Average age	33.2 years	33.8 years
Median age	31.5 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	52.4:47.6	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	1.55 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	287 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Malaysia.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/malaysia | CC BY