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Malaysia Demographics

Population of Malaysia (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Malaysia

Malaysia Population
36,385,115
see live
Yearly Change
+1.13%
Global Share
0.44%
Global Rank
45

Median Age

The median age in Malaysia is 31.4 years (2026).

Fertility in Malaysia

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.5
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Malaysia

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
77.2
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
79.8
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
74.8
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Malaysia


Infant Mortality
4.8
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
5.9
(per 1,000 live births)


Malaysia Urban Population

Currently, 77.8% of the population of Malaysia is urban (28,318,717 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Malaysia is 111 people per Km2 (287 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 328,550 Km2 (126,854 sq. miles).

Largest cities by Population in Malaysia

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 Kuala Lumpur 8,443,731
2 Johor Bahru 1,695,838
3 Ipoh 823,097
4 Kota Kinabalu 789,885
5 George Town 765,884
6 Kuching 586,880
7 Malacca City 555,703
8 Bukit Mertajam 517,326
9 Kota Bharu 460,445
10 Seremban 434,530
11 Sandakan 400,980
12 Tawau 375,573
13 Kuantan 373,353
14 Kuala Terengganu 326,615
15 Sungai Petani 310,566
16 Alor Setar 264,051
17 Taiping 222,522
18 Kulim 207,980
19 Rawang 193,810
20 Sibu 189,927
21 Kulai 164,961
22 Kluang 162,807
23 Batu Pahat 154,683
24 Kampong Pulau Melayu 150,819
25 Muar 131,389
26 Lahad Datu 120,676
27 Bintulu 113,441
28 Putrajaya 112,672
29 Sitiawan 94,438
30 Keningau 89,612
More info

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.