PopulationTracker

Malaysia population

Current population of Malaysia

36,444,401

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
253
Deaths today
108
Change today (UTC)
+240
World rank
45th of 218
0.44% of world population
Population
35,977,838
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+1.17%
2025
Density
107 /km²
2023
Land area
328,550 km²
Urban population
77%
2025
Median age
31.0 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
1.54
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
76.8 yrs
2024
Net migration
+166,615
2025
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Region
East Asia & Pacific

Population of Malaysia: overview

Malaysia has a population of 35,977,838 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 45th largest in the world. Malaysia is part of the East Asia & Pacific region and its capital is Kuala Lumpur.

The population is growing steadily, at 1.17% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 420,165 additional people over the past year. Immigration reinforces the trend: net migration added about 166,615 people in 2025.

Population density is moderate — about 107 people per km², spread across 328,550 km² of land. Most residents — 77% — live in urban areas.

The median age is 31.0 years. Fertility is well below replacement, at 1.54 children per woman. Life expectancy at birth is 76.8 years (2024).

UN medium-variant projections point to continued growth, reaching 44.29 million by 2050 (23% above today's level). The 2030 projection is 37,961,719.

Malaysia population, 1960–2025 and projections

010M20M30M40M50M19601980200020202040projected2025: 35.98M1960: 7,956,1971961: 8,164,4431962: 8,380,1721963: 8,602,1601964: 8,828,4061965: 9,056,4081966: 9,284,6881967: 9,507,0991968: 9,725,2811969: 9,947,5971970: 10,178,8021971: 10,423,4531972: 10,676,8351973: 10,935,6211974: 11,200,9061975: 11,471,9141976: 11,750,0971977: 12,035,7131978: 12,328,1571979: 12,627,8621980: 12,983,3631981: 13,399,2031982: 13,832,7981983: 14,285,9071984: 14,759,0091985: 15,252,2581986: 15,760,4191987: 16,276,7371988: 16,796,6051989: 17,314,9971990: 17,833,1711991: 18,342,4641992: 18,834,5721993: 19,322,6641994: 19,820,4461995: 20,330,5991996: 20,850,0871997: 21,375,2181998: 21,906,7131999: 22,435,5312000: 22,967,8162001: 23,526,5382002: 24,102,4772003: 24,679,6022004: 25,256,7722005: 25,836,0712006: 26,417,9092007: 26,998,3892008: 27,570,0592009: 28,124,7782010: 28,655,7762011: 29,162,0392012: 29,662,8312013: 30,174,2652014: 30,696,1372015: 31,232,7982016: 31,789,6852017: 32,355,6442018: 32,910,9672019: 33,440,5962020: 33,889,5582021: 34,282,3992022: 34,695,4932023: 35,126,2982024: 35,557,6732025: 35,977,8382030: 37,961,7192050: 44,289,772
Population of Malaysia by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
202535,977,838+1.17%+420,165
202435,557,673+1.22%+431,375
202335,126,298+1.23%+430,805
202234,695,493+1.20%+413,094
202134,282,399+1.15%+392,841
202033,889,558+1.33%+448,962
201933,440,596+1.60%+529,629
201832,910,967+1.70%+555,323
201732,355,644+1.76%+565,959
201631,789,685+1.77%+556,887
201531,232,798+1.73%+536,661
201430,696,137+1.71%+521,872
201028,655,776+1.87%+530,998
200525,836,071+2.27%+579,299
200022,967,816+2.34%+532,285
199520,330,599+2.54%+510,153
199017,833,171+2.95%+518,174
198515,252,258+3.29%+493,249
198012,983,363+2.78%+355,501
197511,471,914+2.39%+271,008
197010,178,802+2.30%+231,205
19659,056,408+2.55%+228,002
19607,956,197––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Malaysia population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Malaysia
YearProjected populationvs today
203037,961,719+5.5%
205044,289,772+23.1%

Malaysia population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 21.3% of Malaysia's population is under 15, 70.7% is of working age (15–64), and 8.0% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%0-4 male: 1,138,228 (3.2%)0-4 female: 1,070,314 (3.0%)0-45-9 male: 1,349,190 (3.8%)5-9 female: 1,287,582 (3.6%)10-14 male: 1,466,501 (4.1%)10-14 female: 1,354,763 (3.8%)10-1415-19 male: 1,446,877 (4.0%)15-19 female: 1,339,395 (3.7%)20-24 male: 1,648,275 (4.6%)20-24 female: 1,486,214 (4.1%)20-2425-29 male: 1,704,812 (4.7%)25-29 female: 1,462,254 (4.1%)30-34 male: 1,737,433 (4.8%)30-34 female: 1,435,416 (4.0%)30-3435-39 male: 1,685,561 (4.7%)35-39 female: 1,428,072 (4.0%)40-44 male: 1,534,081 (4.3%)40-44 female: 1,314,310 (3.7%)40-4445-49 male: 1,227,211 (3.4%)45-49 female: 1,072,666 (3.0%)50-54 male: 978,641 (2.7%)50-54 female: 911,722 (2.5%)50-5455-59 male: 811,058 (2.3%)55-59 female: 792,349 (2.2%)60-64 male: 705,963 (2.0%)60-64 female: 698,788 (1.9%)60-6465-69 male: 552,199 (1.5%)65-69 female: 561,718 (1.6%)70-74 male: 399,475 (1.1%)70-74 female: 423,986 (1.2%)70-7475-79 male: 238,359 (0.7%)75-79 female: 265,978 (0.7%)80-84 male: 117,048 (0.3%)80-84 female: 139,269 (0.4%)80-8485-89 male: 56,739 (0.2%)85-89 female: 74,064 (0.2%)90-94 male: 18,469 (0.1%)90-94 female: 28,328 (0.1%)90-9495-99 male: 4,303 (0.0%)95-99 female: 8,030 (0.0%)100+ male: 646 (0.0%)100+ female: 1,554 (0.0%)100+

Malaysia population FAQ

What is the population of Malaysia in 2026?

Malaysia's population is estimated at about 36.44 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 35,977,838 (2025). Malaysia ranks 45th in the world by population.

Is the population of Malaysia growing or shrinking?

Malaysia's population is growing at about 1.17% per year, an increase of roughly 420,165 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Malaysia?

Malaysia has about 107 people per square kilometre across a land area of 328,550 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Malaysia?

Malaysia is home to about 0.44% of the world's population.

What is Malaysia's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Malaysia's population at 44,289,772 in 2050, passing through 37,961,719 in 2030.

What is the median age in Malaysia?

The median age in Malaysia is 31.0 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.