Population growth in Malaysia
Malaysia: Population growth was 1.2% in 2024. βΌ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.2%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
91st
of 212 countries
All-time high
3.3%
in 1985
All-time low
1.2%
in 2021
Years of data
55
1970β2024
Population growth in Malaysia, 1970β2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 1.2% for population growth in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Malaysia peaked at 3.3% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2021.
Malaysia ranks 91st of 212 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 88 British Virgin Islands 1.2% compare
- 89 Paraguay 1.2% compare
- 90 Cambodia 1.2% compare
- 92 Bangladesh 1.2% compare
- 93 Macao 1.2% compare
- 94 East Timor 1.2% compare
More population data for Malaysia
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.278 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.91 million (2100)
- Population density 134 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.278 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.54 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 138,417 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.54 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 1.54 (2024)
- Natural population growth 0.7254 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 1.55 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Malaysia?
- Population growth in Malaysia was 1.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 1985.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for population growth?
- Malaysia ranks 91st out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release