Population by income level in Malaysia

Malaysia: Population by income level was 35.98 million in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
35.98 million
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
45th
of 215 countries
All-time high
35.98 million
in 2025
All-time low
7.96 million
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Population by income level in Malaysia, 1960–2025

10.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M196019922025

Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, population by income level in Malaysia stood at 35.98 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.

The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 15.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population by income level in Malaysia peaked at 35.98 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.96 million, in 1960.

That places Malaysia 45th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 8.95 million 7.96 million 9.95 million 10
1970s 11.36 million 10.18 million 12.63 million 10
1980s 15.07 million 12.98 million 17.32 million 10
1990s 20.11 million 17.83 million 22.44 million 10
2000s 25.55 million 22.97 million 28.12 million 10
2010s 31.01 million 28.66 million 33.44 million 10
2020s 34.92 million 33.89 million 35.98 million 6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 42 Uzbekistan 37.05 million compare
  2. 43 Saudi Arabia 36.97 million compare
  3. 44 Poland 36.44 million compare
  4. 46 Mozambique 35.63 million compare
  5. 47 Ghana 35.06 million compare
  6. 48 Peru 34.58 million compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More population data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is population by income level in Malaysia?
Population by income level in Malaysia was 35.98 million in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population by income level recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 35.98 million in 2025.
What is the lowest population by income level recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 7.96 million in 1960.
How does Malaysia rank for population by income level?
Malaysia ranks 45th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
Is population by income level rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by income level. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Population by income level
Source
United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 14,160 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Total population, differentiated by World Bank income level.