Rank #116 by World Population
🇲🇾Malaysia
Malaysia has a population of 35,126,298, ranking #116 in the world. The capital is Kuala Lumpur. Located in East Asia & Pacific.
World Bank: Upper middle income
35,126,298
Population
#116
World Rank
76.7
Life Expectancy
$11,386
GDP Per Capita
Malaysia, #116 by world population
Malaysia Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Malaysia had a population of 7,956,197 in 1960 and 35,557,673 in 2024, a 4.5× growth over 64 years. The peak was 35,557,673 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.37%.
35,557,673
Population (2024)
7,956,197
Population (1960)
35,557,673
Peak (2024)
2.37%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 7,956,197 |
| 1961 | 8,164,443 |
| 1962 | 8,380,172 |
| 1963 | 8,602,160 |
| 1964 | 8,828,406 |
| 1965 | 9,056,408 |
| 1966 | 9,284,688 |
| 1967 | 9,507,099 |
| 1968 | 9,725,281 |
| 1969 | 9,947,597 |
| 1970 | 10,178,802 |
| 1971 | 10,423,453 |
| 1972 | 10,676,835 |
| 1973 | 10,935,621 |
| 1974 | 11,200,906 |
| 1975 | 11,471,914 |
| 1976 | 11,750,097 |
| 1977 | 12,035,713 |
| 1978 | 12,328,157 |
| 1979 | 12,627,862 |
| 1980 | 12,983,363 |
| 1981 | 13,399,203 |
| 1982 | 13,832,798 |
| 1983 | 14,285,907 |
| 1984 | 14,759,009 |
| 1985 | 15,252,258 |
| 1986 | 15,760,419 |
| 1987 | 16,276,737 |
| 1988 | 16,796,605 |
| 1989 | 17,314,997 |
| 1990 | 17,833,171 |
| 1991 | 18,342,464 |
| 1992 | 18,834,572 |
| 1993 | 19,322,664 |
| 1994 | 19,820,446 |
| 1995 | 20,330,599 |
| 1996 | 20,850,087 |
| 1997 | 21,375,218 |
| 1998 | 21,906,713 |
| 1999 | 22,435,531 |
| 2000 | 22,967,816 |
| 2001 | 23,526,538 |
| 2002 | 24,102,477 |
| 2003 | 24,679,602 |
| 2004 | 25,256,772 |
| 2005 | 25,836,071 |
| 2006 | 26,417,909 |
| 2007 | 26,998,389 |
| 2008 | 27,570,059 |
| 2009 | 28,124,778 |
| 2010 | 28,655,776 |
| 2011 | 29,162,039 |
| 2012 | 29,662,831 |
| 2013 | 30,174,265 |
| 2014 | 30,696,137 |
| 2015 | 31,232,798 |
| 2016 | 31,789,685 |
| 2017 | 32,355,644 |
| 2018 | 32,910,967 |
| 2019 | 33,440,596 |
| 2020 | 33,889,558 |
| 2021 | 34,282,399 |
| 2022 | 34,695,493 |
| 2023 | 35,126,298 |
| 2024 | 35,557,673 |
Demographics
| Population | 35,126,298 |
| Population Growth Rate | 1.23% |
| Urban Population | 76.4% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.55 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 76.7 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 6.9 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | - |
Economy & Trade
$11,386
GDP Per Capita
3.9%
Unemployment Rate
Upper middle income
Income Level
132.6%
Trade (% of GDP)
4,333,000
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
4.0%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
2.34
Physicians per 1,000
3.5%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
6.9
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
100.0%
Electricity Access
97.4%
Internet Users
138
Mobile Subs per 100
106.9
People per km2
181,071
Net Migration
Environment
57.7%
Forest Area
Other Countries in East Asia & Pacific
Malaysia in global context
Malaysia is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Malaysia has a population of 35,126,298, ranking #116 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 1.23%.
Life expectancy in Malaysia is 76.7 years. The infant mortality rate is 6.9 per 1,000 live births.
Malaysia's GDP per capita is $11,386. It is classified as a upper middle income country by the World Bank.
76.4% of Malaysia's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 106.9 people per square kilometer.
Literacy data for Malaysia is available from the World Bank.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. population demographics dataset. The detail above comes directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.