Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 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 193,910 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%

86 Rows

Year
Population
203510,466,800
203410,344,400
203310,217,000
203210,084,700
20319,947,600
20309,805,250
20299,657,380
20289,503,590
20279,343,330
20269,175,810
20259,000,280
20248,815,630
20238,621,720
20228,419,570
20218,210,740
20207,996,830
20197,780,300
20187,563,910
20177,318,540
20167,081,140
20156,851,430
20146,629,180
20136,414,130
20126,206,060
20116,004,740
20105,809,950
20095,621,480
20085,439,370
20075,262,680
20065,091,970
20054,926,790
20044,767,180
20034,612,330
20024,462,710
20014,317,940
20004,176,470
19993,902,220
19983,646,310
19973,407,190
19963,184,050
19952,974,960
19942,779,860
19932,597,560
19922,427,440
19912,265,540
19902,097,660
19891,942,220
19881,798,490
19871,665,050
19861,541,670
19851,427,430
19841,321,790
19831,223,720
19821,133,040
19811,049,080
1980971,445
1979899,365
1978832,722
1977771,016
1976713,959
1975660,984
1974612,004
1973566,654
1972524,721
1971485,787
1970451,201
1969439,064
1968427,269
1967415,760
1966404,576
1965393,692
1964383,116
1963372,796
1962362,768
1961353,010
1960343,527
1959334,273
1958325,281
1957316,531
1956308,028
1955299,730
1954291,668
1953283,822
1952276,197
1951268,757
1950261,528

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
1950261,5280%0
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
19821,133,0408%83,960
19831,223,7208%90,680
19841,321,7908.01%98,070
19851,427,4307.99%105,640
19861,541,6708%114,240
19871,665,0508%123,380
19881,798,4908.01%133,440
19891,942,2207.99%143,730
19902,097,6608%155,440
19912,265,5408%167,880
19922,427,4407.15%161,900
19932,597,5607.01%170,120
19942,779,8607.02%182,300
19952,974,9607.02%195,100
19963,184,0507.03%209,090
19973,407,1907.01%223,140
19983,646,3107.02%239,120
19993,902,2207.02%255,910
20004,176,4707.03%274,250
20014,317,9403.39%141,470
20024,462,7103.35%144,770
20034,612,3303.35%149,620
20044,767,1803.36%154,850
20054,926,7903.35%159,610
20065,091,9703.35%165,180
20075,262,6803.35%170,710
20085,439,3703.36%176,690
20095,621,4803.35%182,110
20105,809,9503.35%188,470
20116,004,7403.35%194,790
20126,206,0603.35%201,320
20136,414,1303.35%208,070
20146,629,1803.35%215,050
20156,851,4303.35%222,250
20167,081,1403.35%229,710
20177,318,5403.35%237,400
20187,563,9103.35%245,370
20197,780,3002.86%216,390
20207,996,8302.78%216,530
20218,210,7402.67%213,910
20228,419,5702.54%208,830
20238,621,7202.4%202,150
20248,815,6302.25%193,910
20259,000,2802.09%184,650
20269,175,8101.95%175,530
20279,343,3301.83%167,520
20289,503,5901.72%160,260
20299,657,3801.62%153,790
20309,805,2501.53%147,870
20319,947,6001.45%142,350
203210,084,7001.38%137,100
203310,217,0001.31%132,300
203410,344,4001.25%127,400
203510,466,8001.18%122,400

Kuala Lumpur Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Kuala Lumpur8,815,6302.25%
Johor Bahru1,107,0001.91%
Ipoh872,4241.77%
Kuching652,3201.68%
Kota Kinabalu601,1212.11%
Kuantan548,2152.06%
Seremban513,5581.92%
Kuala Terengganu411,8211.76%
Sandakan397,1251.55%
Alor Star374,8692.16%
Kota Bharu368,7421.58%

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