Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 28.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Malaysia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in Malaysia is 28.2%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Malaysia peaked at 28.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 1950.
That places Malaysia 81st out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 9.9% | 8.0% | 11.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 16.8% | 18.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 23.7% | 23.4% | 23.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.4% | 24.6% | 26.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 28.2% | 28.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 78 Belarus 28.6% compare
- 79 Tunisia 28.4% compare
- 80 Madagascar 28.4% compare
- 82 New Zealand 28.1% compare
- 83 Somalia 27.9% compare
- 84 Burkina Faso 27.7% compare
More population data for Malaysia
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.3% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.91 million people (2100)
- Population density 134 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.3% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.54 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 138,417 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.54 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.54 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.7% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.55 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Malaysia?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Malaysia was 28.2% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 1950.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- Malaysia ranks 81st out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.