Migrant stock total in Malaysia

Malaysia: Migrant stock total was 3.81 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
3.81 million
World rank
18th
of 232 countries
All-time high
3.81 million
in 2024
All-time low
1.03 million
in 1990
Years of data
8
1990–2024

Migrant stock total in Malaysia, 1990–2024

1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1990200720241990: 1.0M1995: 1.3M2000: 1.6M2005: 2.2M2010: 3.1M2015: 3.5M2020: 3.7M2024: 3.8M

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, migrant stock total in Malaysia stood at 3.81 million. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is up 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, migrant stock total in Malaysia peaked at 3.81 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.03 million, in 1990.

Malaysia ranks 18th of 232 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Migrant stock total in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Migrant stock total in Malaysia, 1990 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1990 1.03 million —
1995 1.31 million +27.8%
2000 1.61 million +22.9%
2005 2.17 million +34.7%
2010 3.09 million +42.0%
2015 3.51 million +13.8%
2020 3.72 million +5.8%
2024 3.81 million +2.4%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 3.81 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 184,522, 20.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 3.81 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 51,446, 74.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.17 million 1.03 million 1.31 million 2
2000s 1.89 million 1.61 million 2.17 million 2
2010s 3.30 million 3.09 million 3.51 million 2
2020s 3.76 million 3.72 million 3.81 million 2

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 15 India 4.80 million compare
  2. 16 Pakistan 4.18 million compare
  3. 17 Iran 3.84 million compare
  4. 19 Japan 3.41 million compare
  5. 20 Kuwait 3.32 million compare
  6. 21 Thailand 3.18 million compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More population data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is migrant stock total in Malaysia?
Migrant stock total in Malaysia was 3.81 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest migrant stock total recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 3.81 million in 2024.
What is the lowest migrant stock total recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.03 million in 1990.
How does Malaysia rank for migrant stock total?
Malaysia ranks 18th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is migrant stock total rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Migrant stock total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Migrant stock total in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/migrant-stock-total/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Migrant stock total
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 1,856 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed