Malaysia
- Capital:
- Kuala Lumpur
- Continent:
- Asia
- Region(s):
- Southeast Asia
- Largest Cities:
- Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Ipoh
- Abbreviation:
- MYS
* As of 1/8/2026
1 birth
Every 1.2 minutes
1 death
Every 2.7 minutes
1 immigrant
Every 3.3 minutes
1 person
Every 1.3 minutes
217K
250K
500K
750K
1M
2.5M
5M
7.5M
9.2M
Malaysia is a federal state that has a monarchy system of governance. It is comprised of 13 large states and 3 different federal territories. Its area is about 330,803 square kilometers. The Malaysian land is divided into two parts, namely Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia, between which the South China Sea flows. Malaysia borders Brunei, Thailand, and Indonesia. Its sea borders Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia.
The population of Malaysia was 28,334,135 according to the 2010 census. This made Malaysia the 42nd most populated country in the world.
The infant mortality rate in 2012was 14.57 deaths per 1000, and life expectancy at birth in 2012 was 75 years in Malaysia. Five percent of the government social sector development budget is spent on health care to develop Malaysia into a medical tourism destination. Peninsular Malaysia has an urban population of 70%. This area consists of approximately 25 million Malaysians, and the population is mostly concentrated here. Kuala Lumpur is the capital and is also the center of financial and commercial activities.
Bumiputera (62.5%)
Chinese (20.6%)
Indian (6.2%)
Other (0.9%)
non-citizens (9.8%)
The main religion in Malaysia is Muslim (official).
Muslim (official)
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Other
Other (Confucianism, Taoism, Other traditional Chinese religions)
None/Unspecified
Malaysia consists of people of different cultures and religions. Only 50.4% of the population is Malay, and the rest is Bumiputera, Muslim, and other ethnic groups including majorities and minorities.
Malaysian nationality is only given to a child whose parents are both Malaysian. Dual nationality in Malaysia is not allowed.
During the 1960s, the Malaysian population was recorded at 8.16 million, which gradually increased to 10.91 million in 1970. In 1980, the Malaysian population increased to 13.83 million, after which a drastic rise took place and the population reached 20.21 million in 1994. Finally, the population rate was 28.86 million in the year 2011.