Has the population peaked? in Malaysia

Malaysia: Has the population peaked? was 35.13 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
35.13 million people
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
44th
of 236 countries
All-time high
35.13 million people
in 2023
All-time low
6.10 million people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Has the population peaked? in Malaysia, 1950–2023

10.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 35.13 million people for has the population peaked? in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, has the population peaked? in Malaysia peaked at 35.13 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.10 million people, in 1950.

Malaysia ranks 44th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Has the population peaked? in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Has the population peaked? in Malaysia, 1950 to 2023.
Year people Change
1950 6.10 million people
1951 6.26 million people +2.6%
1952 6.42 million people +2.6%
1953 6.59 million people +2.7%
1954 6.77 million people +2.7%
1955 6.96 million people +2.8%
1956 7.16 million people +2.8%
1957 7.36 million people +2.9%
1958 7.56 million people +2.7%
1959 7.76 million people +2.6%
1960 7.96 million people +2.6%
1961 8.16 million people +2.6%
1962 8.38 million people +2.6%
1963 8.60 million people +2.6%
1964 8.83 million people +2.6%
1965 9.06 million people +2.6%
1966 9.28 million people +2.5%
1967 9.51 million people +2.4%
1968 9.73 million people +2.3%
1969 9.95 million people +2.3%
1970 10.18 million people +2.3%
1971 10.42 million people +2.4%
1972 10.68 million people +2.4%
1973 10.94 million people +2.4%
1974 11.20 million people +2.4%
1975 11.47 million people +2.4%
1976 11.75 million people +2.4%
1977 12.04 million people +2.4%
1978 12.33 million people +2.4%
1979 12.63 million people +2.4%
1980 12.98 million people +2.8%
1981 13.40 million people +3.2%
1982 13.83 million people +3.2%
1983 14.29 million people +3.3%
1984 14.76 million people +3.3%
1985 15.25 million people +3.3%
1986 15.76 million people +3.3%
1987 16.28 million people +3.3%
1988 16.80 million people +3.2%
1989 17.32 million people +3.1%
1990 17.83 million people +3.0%
1991 18.34 million people +2.9%
1992 18.83 million people +2.7%
1993 19.32 million people +2.6%
1994 19.82 million people +2.6%
1995 20.33 million people +2.6%
1996 20.85 million people +2.6%
1997 21.38 million people +2.5%
1998 21.91 million people +2.5%
1999 22.44 million people +2.4%
2000 22.97 million people +2.4%
2001 23.53 million people +2.4%
2002 24.10 million people +2.4%
2003 24.68 million people +2.4%
2004 25.26 million people +2.3%
2005 25.84 million people +2.3%
2006 26.42 million people +2.3%
2007 27.00 million people +2.2%
2008 27.57 million people +2.1%
2009 28.12 million people +2.0%
2010 28.66 million people +1.9%
2011 29.16 million people +1.8%
2012 29.66 million people +1.7%
2013 30.17 million people +1.7%
2014 30.70 million people +1.7%
2015 31.23 million people +1.7%
2016 31.79 million people +1.8%
2017 32.36 million people +1.8%
2018 32.91 million people +1.7%
2019 33.44 million people +1.6%
2020 33.89 million people +1.3%
2021 34.28 million people +1.2%
2022 34.70 million people +1.2%
2023 35.13 million people +1.2%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 35.13 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.81 million people, 5.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 35.13 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.38 million people, 25.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 6.89 million people 6.10 million people 7.76 million people 10
1960s 8.95 million people 7.96 million people 9.95 million people 10
1970s 11.36 million people 10.18 million people 12.63 million people 10
1980s 15.07 million people 12.98 million people 17.32 million people 10
1990s 20.11 million people 17.83 million people 22.44 million people 10
2000s 25.55 million people 22.97 million people 28.12 million people 10
2010s 31.01 million people 28.66 million people 33.44 million people 10
2020s 34.50 million people 33.89 million people 35.13 million people 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 41 Morocco 37.71 million people compare
  2. 42 Angola 36.75 million people compare
  3. 43 Uzbekistan 35.65 million people compare
  4. 45 Peru 33.85 million people compare
  5. 46 Ghana 33.79 million people compare
  6. 47 Mozambique 33.64 million people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is has the population peaked? in Malaysia?
Has the population peaked? in Malaysia was 35.13 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest has the population peaked? recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 35.13 million people in 2023.
What is the lowest has the population peaked? recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 6.10 million people in 1950.
How does Malaysia rank for has the population peaked??
Malaysia ranks 44th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is has the population peaked? rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Has the population peaked?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Has the population peaked? in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-peak-status/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Has the population peaked?
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.