🇲🇾 Malaysia Population 2026

As of 2026, the population of Malaysia is 36,385,115, ranking #45 in the world (0.44% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is growing at 1.10% per year. The biggest city is Kuala Lumpur with 1,453,975 inhabitants.

Live estimate

36,394,431

Growth rate

1.10%

Density

111

people / km² (287 / mi²)

Median age

31.4

Fertility rate

1.52

births per woman

Life expectancy

77.2

years

Malaysia population 1950–2100

Population of Malaysia, 1950–2100 — solid: UN estimates, dashed: UN medium-variant projection.

By 2050, the population of Malaysia is projected to reach 44,289,772, and 44,026,122 by 2100. The population is expected to peak in 2072 at 46,390,502, then decline.

Malaysia population by year

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2026	36,385,115	1.10%	110.7	31.4
2025	35,977,838	1.15%	109.5	31.0
2024	35,557,673	1.20%	108.2	30.5
2023	35,126,298	1.24%	106.9	30.1
2022	34,695,493	1.23%	105.6	29.6
2021	34,282,399	1.17%	104.3	29.1
2020	33,889,558	1.14%	103.1	28.6
2019	33,440,596	1.53%	101.8	28.2
2018	32,910,967	1.66%	100.2	27.8
2017	32,355,644	1.74%	98.5	27.5
2016	31,789,685	1.79%	96.8	27.1
2015	31,232,798	1.75%	95.1	26.8
2014	30,696,137	1.72%	93.4	26.5
2013	30,174,265	1.71%	91.8	26.1
2012	29,662,831	1.71%	90.3	25.7
2011	29,162,039	1.70%	88.8	25.4
2010	28,655,776	1.81%	87.2	25.0
2009	28,124,778	1.94%	85.6	24.5
2008	27,570,059	2.05%	83.9	24.1
2007	26,998,389	2.14%	82.2	23.8
2006	26,417,909	2.21%	80.4	23.5
2005	25,836,071	2.25%	78.6	23.2
2004	25,256,772	2.29%	76.9	23.0
2003	24,679,602	2.34%	75.1	22.8
2002	24,102,477	2.40%	73.4	22.7
2001	23,526,538	2.44%	71.6	22.6
2000	22,967,816	2.36%	69.9	22.5
1999	22,435,531	2.33%	68.3	22.3
1998	21,906,713	2.45%	66.7	22.1
1997	21,375,218	2.47%	65.1	21.9
1996	20,850,087	2.51%	63.5	21.7
1995	20,330,598	2.54%	61.9	21.5
1994	19,820,446	2.55%	60.3	21.3
1993	19,322,664	2.54%	58.8	21.0
1992	18,834,572	2.58%	57.3	20.8
1991	18,342,464	2.72%	55.8	20.6
1990	17,833,171	2.91%	54.3	20.4
1989	17,314,997	2.98%	52.7	20.3
1988	16,796,605	3.10%	51.1	20.1
1987	16,276,737	3.19%	49.5	20.0
1986	15,760,420	3.25%	48.0	19.8
1985	15,252,258	3.30%	46.4	19.7
1984	14,759,009	3.27%	44.9	19.5
1983	14,285,908	3.24%	43.5	19.3
1982	13,832,798	3.20%	42.1	19.1
1981	13,399,203	3.17%	40.8	18.9
1980	12,983,363	3.14%	39.5	18.7
1979	12,627,862	2.40%	38.4	18.5
1978	12,328,158	2.40%	37.5	18.2
1977	12,035,713	2.40%	36.6	18.0
1976	11,750,098	2.40%	35.8	17.7
1975	11,471,914	2.39%	34.9	17.5
1974	11,200,906	2.39%	34.1	17.2
1973	10,935,621	2.40%	33.3	17.0
1972	10,676,836	2.39%	32.5	16.7
1971	10,423,454	2.42%	31.7	16.5
1970	10,178,802	2.33%	31.0	16.3
1969	9,947,598	2.26%	30.3	16.1
1968	9,725,281	2.26%	29.6	15.9
1967	9,507,099	2.28%	28.9	15.8
1966	9,284,688	2.46%	28.3	15.7
1965	9,056,408	2.52%	27.6	15.6
1964	8,828,406	2.58%	26.9	15.7
1963	8,602,160	2.61%	26.2	15.8
1962	8,380,172	2.62%	25.5	16.0
1961	8,164,442	2.60%	24.8	16.2
1960	7,956,197	2.57%	24.2	16.5
1959	7,755,786	2.54%	23.6	16.7
1958	7,562,878	2.50%	23.0	17.0
1957	7,362,822	2.87%	22.4	17.2
1956	7,156,626	2.81%	21.8	17.3
1955	6,959,963	2.76%	21.2	17.4
1954	6,772,378	2.71%	20.6	17.6
1953	6,593,943	2.63%	20.1	17.8
1952	6,422,846	2.63%	19.5	18.1
1951	6,257,417	2.59%	19.0	18.5
1950	6,098,283	2.56%	18.6	18.8

Year	Population	Growth	Density /km²	Median age
2027	36,785,087	1.08%	112.0	31.8
2028	37,182,770	1.07%	113.2	32.2
2029	37,574,288	1.03%	114.4	32.6
2030	37,961,719	1.02%	115.5	33.0
2031	38,347,785	1.00%	116.7	33.4
2032	38,728,384	0.97%	117.9	33.8
2033	39,097,874	0.93%	119.0	34.2
2034	39,457,845	0.91%	120.1	34.6
2035	39,814,825	0.89%	121.2	35.0
2036	40,166,898	0.87%	122.3	35.4
2037	40,512,281	0.84%	123.3	35.7
2038	40,853,312	0.83%	124.3	36.1
2039	41,185,886	0.79%	125.4	36.5
2040	41,509,644	0.78%	126.3	36.8
2041	41,828,592	0.76%	127.3	37.2
2042	42,144,466	0.75%	128.3	37.6
2043	42,455,953	0.72%	129.2	37.9
2044	42,754,136	0.68%	130.1	38.3
2045	43,038,204	0.65%	131.0	38.6
2046	43,313,748	0.63%	131.8	38.9
2047	43,580,459	0.60%	132.6	39.2
2048	43,831,577	0.55%	133.4	39.5
2049	44,065,540	0.51%	134.1	39.8
2050	44,289,772	0.50%	134.8	40.1
2051	44,502,613	0.46%	135.5	40.5
2052	44,701,572	0.43%	136.1	40.8
2053	44,889,968	0.41%	136.6	41.1
2054	45,063,850	0.37%	137.2	41.4
2055	45,219,590	0.32%	137.6	41.7
2056	45,362,855	0.31%	138.1	42.0
2057	45,497,567	0.28%	138.5	42.3
2058	45,622,565	0.26%	138.9	42.7
2059	45,741,084	0.26%	139.2	43.0
2060	45,850,113	0.22%	139.6	43.3
2061	45,947,638	0.20%	139.8	43.6
2062	46,033,411	0.17%	140.1	43.9
2063	46,105,607	0.14%	140.3	44.1
2064	46,170,821	0.14%	140.5	44.4
2065	46,226,986	0.10%	140.7	44.5
2066	46,270,411	0.08%	140.8	44.7
2067	46,305,044	0.07%	140.9	44.8
2068	46,331,868	0.05%	141.0	44.9
2069	46,354,513	0.05%	141.1	45.0
2070	46,373,000	0.03%	141.1	45.1
2071	46,385,327	0.02%	141.2	45.2
2072	46,390,502	0.00%	141.2	45.3
2073	46,384,501	-0.03%	141.2	45.4
2074	46,370,717	-0.03%	141.1	45.5
2075	46,351,183	-0.05%	141.1	45.6
2076	46,326,866	-0.05%	141.0	45.6
2077	46,292,136	-0.10%	140.9	45.7
2078	46,243,388	-0.11%	140.7	45.8
2079	46,186,887	-0.13%	140.6	45.9
2080	46,119,096	-0.16%	140.4	45.9
2081	46,044,270	-0.16%	140.1	46.0
2082	45,966,035	-0.18%	139.9	46.1
2083	45,879,836	-0.20%	139.6	46.2
2084	45,789,610	-0.20%	139.4	46.2
2085	45,697,775	-0.20%	139.1	46.3
2086	45,599,540	-0.23%	138.8	46.4
2087	45,495,752	-0.23%	138.5	46.5
2088	45,389,872	-0.24%	138.2	46.6
2089	45,282,328	-0.24%	137.8	46.7
2090	45,172,966	-0.24%	137.5	46.7
2091	45,062,224	-0.25%	137.2	46.8
2092	44,950,461	-0.25%	136.8	46.9
2093	44,835,558	-0.26%	136.5	47.0
2094	44,719,895	-0.26%	136.1	47.1
2095	44,604,296	-0.26%	135.8	47.1
2096	44,486,793	-0.27%	135.4	47.2
2097	44,370,041	-0.26%	135.0	47.3
2098	44,256,474	-0.25%	134.7	47.3
2099	44,143,976	-0.26%	134.4	47.4
2100	44,026,122	-0.28%	134.0	47.4

States & provinces of Malaysia by population

#	State / province	Population	Share
1	Selangor	6,994,423	19.2%
2	Johor	4,009,670	11.0%
3	Sabah	3,418,785	9.4%
4	Sarawak	2,907,500	8.0%
5	Perak	2,500,000	6.9%
6	Kuala Lumpur	2,075,600	5.7%
7	Kelantan	1,792,501	4.9%
8	Kedah	1,792,501	4.9%
9	Pulau Pinang	1,740,405	4.8%
10	Pahang	1,675,000	4.6%
11	Negeri Sembilan	1,199,974	3.3%
12	Terengganu	1,149,440	3.2%
13	Melaka	1,027,500	2.8%
14	Perlis	292,700	0.8%
15	Putrajaya	119,700	0.3%
16	Labuan	102,300	0.3%

State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).

Biggest cities in Malaysia

#	City	Region	Population
1	Kuala Lumpur capital	Kuala Lumpur	1,453,975
2	Johor Bahru	Johor	858,118
3	Kampung Baru Subang	Selangor	833,571
4	Petaling Jaya	Selangor	807,879
5	Ipoh	Perak	759,952
6	Shah Alam	Selangor	740,750
7	Bukit Rahman Putra	Selangor	607,000
8	Pelentong	Johor	583,640
9	Malacca	Melaka	579,000
10	Iskandar Puteri	Johor	575,977
11	Kota Bharu	Kelantan	568,900
12	Kuantan	Pahang	548,014
13	Kota Kuala Muda	Kedah	544,984
14	Sungai Petani	Kedah	544,851
15	Selayang Baru Utara	Selangor	542,409

FAQ

What is the population of Malaysia in 2026?

The population of Malaysia is 36,385,115 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).

What is the biggest city in Malaysia?

Kuala Lumpur is the biggest city in Malaysia with 1,453,975 inhabitants and it is also the capital.

Is the population of Malaysia growing or shrinking?

The population of Malaysia is growing at 1.10% per year, and is projected to peak in 2072 at 46,390,502.

Neighboring countries

Sources

Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-07.
City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-07.

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