What is the population of Malaysia in 2026?
Malaysia has a population of 35,977,838 people (2025 estimate), which is 45th in the world and about 0.43% of the global total.
Population 2025
35,977,838
0.43% of world population
World Bank, 2025Annual Growth
+1.18%
+422,740 people a year
World Bank, 2025Density
107/km²
328,550 km² land area
World Bank, 2023Median Age
31.0 years
Life expectancy 76.8 years
Our World in Data, 2025About Malaysia
With 35,977,838 people, Malaysia ranks 45th globally and maintains a 1.2% annual population growth rate. The country spans 328,550 km² across Southeast Asia, bordered by Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand, with a population density of 107 people per km². Urban centers account for 77% of residents, while the median age of 31 years reflects a relatively young population.
Life expectancy stands at 76.8 years, supported by a fertility rate of 1.5 births per woman. The constitutional monarchy, established in 1963, operates with a GDP per capita of $13,125 and uses the Malaysian ringgit as its currency. English and Malay are the primary languages spoken, with Kuala Lumpur serving as the capital.
This summary is AI-generated from the indicators on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Country Facts
- Capital
- Kuala Lumpur
- Continent
- Asia
- ISO codes
- MY · MYS
- Demonym
- Malaysian
- Currency
- Malaysian ringgit (MYR RM)
- Government
- Constitutional monarchy, Elective monarchy, Federal monarchy +2 more
- State inception
- 1963
- Time zone
- UTC+08:00
- Driving side
- Left
- Calling code
- +60
- Internet TLD
- .my
- Land neighbours
- 3
Languages
- English
- Malay
Demographics
Economy
Health
Education
Environment
Infrastructure
Quality of Life
Geography
Military
Age & Gender Distribution
Population by five-year age band, UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Male Female
- Age 0–14
- 21.8%
- Age 15–64
- 70.5%
- Age 65+
- 7.7%
| Age band | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ | 618 | 1,509 |
| 95-99 | 4,102 | 7,524 |
| 90-94 | 17,313 | 26,723 |
| 85-89 | 53,915 | 70,188 |
| 80-84 | 112,178 | 133,058 |
| 75-79 | 221,024 | 246,348 |
| 70-74 | 381,664 | 404,041 |
| 65-69 | 531,074 | 540,122 |
| 60-64 | 691,655 | 681,344 |
| 55-59 | 793,558 | 776,574 |
| 50-54 | 947,846 | 887,963 |
| 45-49 | 1,168,957 | 1,034,014 |
| 40-44 | 1,486,732 | 1,268,941 |
| 35-39 | 1,664,463 | 1,417,109 |
| 30-34 | 1,735,207 | 1,434,297 |
| 25-29 | 1,707,100 | 1,443,533 |
| 20-24 | 1,641,975 | 1,470,114 |
| 15-19 | 1,460,300 | 1,347,858 |
| 10-14 | 1,454,940 | 1,339,107 |
| 5-9 | 1,398,089 | 1,331,436 |
| 0-4 | 1,145,086 | 1,078,077 |
Population History & Projection (1950–2100)
Observed population to 2024, then the UN medium-variant projection.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 6,098,283 |
| 1960 | 7,956,197 |
| 1970 | 10,178,802 |
| 1980 | 12,983,363 |
| 1990 | 17,833,171 |
| 2000 | 22,967,816 |
| 2010 | 28,655,776 |
| 2020 | 33,889,558 |
| 2030 | 37,961,719 |
| 2040 | 41,509,644 |
| 2050 | 44,289,772 |
| 2060 | 45,850,113 |
| 2070 | 46,373,000 |
| 2080 | 46,119,096 |
| 2090 | 45,172,966 |
| 2100 | 44,026,122 |
How Malaysia Compares
Population against the ten most populous countries.
| Name | Population |
|---|---|
| India | 1.46B |
| China | 1.41B |
| United States | 341.8M |
| Indonesia | 285.7M |
| Pakistan | 255.2M |
| Nigeria | 237.5M |
| Brazil | 212.8M |
| Bangladesh | 175.7M |
| Russia | 143.5M |
| Ethiopia | 135.5M |
| Malaysia | 36M |
Major Cities in Malaysia
1 metropolitan area in our city dataset.
- Kuala Lumpur8.42M · +1.75%
Countries Bordering Malaysia
3 land borders.
Malaysia Population FAQ
Is the population of Malaysia growing or shrinking?
Malaysia's population is growing at +1.18% per year, a change of roughly 422,740 people annually.
What is the capital of Malaysia?
The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur.
What is the largest city in Malaysia?
Kuala Lumpur is the largest metropolitan area in Malaysia, with about 8.42M people.
How densely populated is Malaysia?
Malaysia has 107/km² across 328,550 km² of land area.
What is life expectancy in Malaysia?
Life expectancy at birth in Malaysia is 76.8 years (2024).
What is the median age in Malaysia?
The median age in Malaysia is 31.0 years, meaning half the population is younger than that and half older.
Which continent is Malaysia in?
Malaysia is in Asia.