Kuala Lumpur Population 2024

Kuala Lumpur's 2024 population is now estimated at 8,815,630In 1950, the population of Kuala Lumpur was 261,528Kuala Lumpur has grown by 193,906 in the last year, which represents a 2.25% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Kuala Lumpur, which typically includes Kuala Lumpur's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Kuala Lumpur, or KL, is the federal capital and most populous city of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is the fastest growing metropolitan area of the country. Ranked as an alpha world city, it's the economic, financial and cultural city of the country and one of three Malaysian Federal Territories. The city also has a high Human Development Index. In 2016, Kuala Lumpur had an estimated population of 1.76 million.

City Size and Population Density

Kuala Lumpur has an estimated 2016 population of 1.76 million people in an area of just 94 square kilometers (243 square kilometers). This gives the city proper a very high population density of 17,310 people per square mile or 6,890 per square kilometer. Greater Kuala Lumpur, or the Klang Valley, is a significant urban agglomeration with an estimated population of 7.2 million in 2016 with a population density that is nearly equal to that of the city proper.

Kuala Lumpur Demographics

According to the 2010 census, major ethnic groups in Kuala Lumpur are:

  • Malay/Bumiputera: 45.9%
  • Chinese: 43.2%
  • Indians: 10.3%
  • Other: 1.6%

The city is primarily a mix of Malays, Chinese, and Indians, although there are many cultures in the city such as Eurasians, Kadazans, Ibans and indigenous peoples from East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia. In the 1970s, the Malaysian government put in place policies deemed "racially discriminatory" to favor the Malays (also called Bumiputera, a term that describes the Malay and other indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia). This was done to defuse ethnic tensions after violence against Chinese Malaysians, and it created a strong urban Malay middle class, although it did little to get rid of poverty in rural areas and it led to resentment from other groups, including the large Chinese and Indian minorities.

In recent years, the share of foreign residents in the city has increased, now accounting for about 9% of the total population. Rapid development in the city has led to an influx of low-skilled foreign workers from countries like Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and Vietnam. Many have come illegally or without the permits necessary for work.

Kuala Lumpur has many religions. Islam accounts for 46.4% of the population, followed by Buddhism (35.7%), Hinduism (8.5%), Christianity (5.8%), Daoism (1.1%) and other religions (2%).

Kuala Lumpur Population Growth

Kuala Lumpur is an aging city as birth rates have fallen in the last decade or two. This has led to a lower percentage of young people under 15, a group that has dropped from 33% in 1980 to under 27% in 2000. The working age group between 15 and 59 has increased from 63% in 1980 to 67% in 2000 as more people move to the city for opportunities.

Country
Malaysia
Growth Rate
2.25%

Kuala Lumpur Population 2024

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Growth
1950261,528
1951268,7572.76%7,229
1952276,1972.77%7,440
1953283,8222.76%7,625
1954291,6682.76%7,846
1955299,7302.76%8,062
1956308,0282.77%8,298
1957316,5312.76%8,503
1958325,2812.76%8,750
1959334,2732.76%8,992
1960343,5272.77%9,254
1961353,0102.76%9,483
1962362,7682.76%9,758
1963372,7962.76%10,028
1964383,1162.77%10,320
1965393,6922.76%10,576
1966404,5762.76%10,884
1967415,7602.76%11,184
1968427,2692.77%11,509
1969439,0642.76%11,795
1970451,2012.76%12,137
1971485,7877.67%34,586
1972524,7218.01%38,934
1973566,6547.99%41,933
1974612,0048%45,350
1975660,9848%48,980
1976713,9598.01%52,975
1977771,0167.99%57,057
1978832,7228%61,706
1979899,3658%66,643
1980971,4458.01%72,080
19811,049,0807.99%77,635
19821,133,0398%83,959
19831,223,7188%90,679
19841,321,7948.01%98,076
19851,427,4277.99%105,633
19861,541,6668%114,239
19871,665,0478%123,381
19881,798,4938.01%133,446
19891,942,2237.99%143,730
19902,097,6618%155,438
19912,265,5408%167,879
19922,427,4457.15%161,905
19932,597,5647.01%170,119
19942,779,8657.02%182,301
19952,974,9617.02%195,096
19963,184,0467.03%209,085
19973,407,1897.01%223,143
19983,646,3117.02%239,122
19993,902,2157.02%255,904
20004,176,4697.03%274,254
20014,317,9413.39%141,472
20024,462,7083.35%144,767
20034,612,3293.35%149,621
20044,767,1823.36%154,853
20054,926,7873.35%159,605
20065,091,9673.35%165,180
20075,262,6843.35%170,717
20085,439,3733.36%176,689
20095,621,4823.35%182,109
20105,809,9533.35%188,471
20116,004,7423.35%194,789
20126,206,0623.35%201,320
20136,414,1313.35%208,069
20146,629,1763.35%215,045
20156,851,4313.35%222,255
20167,081,1373.35%229,706
20177,318,5453.35%237,408
20187,563,9123.35%245,367
20197,780,3012.86%216,389
20207,996,8302.78%216,529
20218,210,7452.67%213,915
20228,419,5662.54%208,821
20238,621,7242.4%202,158
20248,815,6302.25%193,906
20259,000,2802.09%184,650
20269,175,8091.95%175,529
20279,343,3271.83%167,518
20289,503,5911.72%160,264
20299,657,3851.62%153,794
20309,805,2491.53%147,864
20319,947,6031.45%142,354
203210,084,7271.38%137,124
203310,216,9811.31%132,254
203410,344,3561.25%127,375
203510,466,8231.18%122,467
showing: 86 rows

Kuala Lumpur Population Data (Urban Area)

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Other Cities in Malaysia

  1. Department of Statistics Malaysia - Population statistics for the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
  2. Department of Statistics Malaysia - Malaysia Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristic Report

Sources