MYS · MY · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Malaysia
Malaysia had a population of 36,385,115 people in 2026, ranking 45 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 36,385,115 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #45/ 237 Asia #18 / 51
- Share of world population
- 0.44% 2026
- Density
- 110.7 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 31.4 years
- Life expectancy
- 77.16 years
Country or area overview
Malaysia is in Asia. In 2026, its population was 36,385,115 people, about 0.44% of the world total. It ranks #45 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 6,098,283 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 44,026,122 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 1.10%. The median age is 31.4. 20.8% of the population is under 15 and 8.3% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 77.16 and the total fertility rate is 1.52. Within Asia, it ranks #18 of 51 by population and #31 of 51 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Malaysia map
Country outline and its location in the world.
All territories
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,141,270 | 1,073,261 | 2,214,531 | 6.09% |
| 5–9 | 1,291,303 | 1,231,530 | 2,522,833 | 6.93% |
| 10–14 | 1,476,643 | 1,371,851 | 2,848,494 | 7.83% |
| 15–19 | 1,447,819 | 1,339,707 | 2,787,526 | 7.66% |
| 20–24 | 1,639,193 | 1,488,222 | 3,127,415 | 8.60% |
| 25–29 | 1,702,667 | 1,482,525 | 3,185,192 | 8.75% |
| 30–34 | 1,735,449 | 1,437,338 | 3,172,787 | 8.72% |
| 35–39 | 1,703,941 | 1,435,432 | 3,139,373 | 8.63% |
| 40–44 | 1,572,955 | 1,352,489 | 2,925,444 | 8.04% |
| 45–49 | 1,289,874 | 1,116,774 | 2,406,648 | 6.61% |
| 50–54 | 1,011,986 | 936,356 | 1,948,342 | 5.35% |
| 55–59 | 832,600 | 809,896 | 1,642,496 | 4.51% |
| 60–64 | 717,313 | 713,819 | 1,431,132 | 3.93% |
| 65–69 | 574,268 | 584,183 | 1,158,451 | 3.18% |
| 70–74 | 416,113 | 442,792 | 858,905 | 2.36% |
| 75–79 | 256,033 | 285,960 | 541,993 | 1.49% |
| 80–84 | 123,699 | 147,524 | 271,223 | 0.75% |
| 85–89 | 59,309 | 77,684 | 136,993 | 0.38% |
| 90–94 | 19,809 | 30,164 | 49,973 | 0.14% |
| 95–99 | 4,506 | 8,537 | 13,043 | 0.04% |
| 100+ | 683 | 1,635 | 2,318 | 0.01% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 36,385,115 people | 44,026,122 people | people |
| Male population | 19,017,434 people | 22,194,514 people | people |
| Female population | 17,367,680 people | 21,831,607 people | people |
| Population density | 110.7 people/km² | 134.0 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 109.5 | 101.7 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 31.4 | 47.4 | years |
| Natural change | 242,080 | -178,000 | people |
| Natural change rate | 6.65 ‰ | -4.04 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 401,087 | -122,533 | people |
| Population growth rate | 1.10% | -0.28% | % |
| Population doubling time | 62.9 | — | years |
| Births | 440,401 people | 378,194 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 7,016 | 2,993 | people |
| Birth rate | 12.10 ‰ | 8.59 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 1.52 | 1.56 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 0.727 | 0.753 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 31.03 | 31.46 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 106.4 | 106.3 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 198,321 people | 556,194 people | people |
| Male deaths | 115,928 | 285,004 | people |
| Female deaths | 82,393 | 271,189 | people |
| Death rate | 5.45 ‰ | 12.63 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.16 | 87.88 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 74.81 | 86.70 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 79.82 | 89.10 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 62.74 | 73.12 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 17.69 | 25.10 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 8.68 | 12.95 | years |
| Infant deaths | 2,099 | 652 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.76 ‰ | 1.72 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 438,598 | 377,637 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 2,589 | 833 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 5.86 ‰ | 2.20 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | 159,001 | 55,466 | people |
| Net migration rate | 4.37 ‰ | 1.26 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Malaysia?
- In 2026, Malaysia had a population of 36,385,115 people. It ranks #45 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Malaysia changed?
- The population was 6,098,283 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 44,026,122 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Malaysia?
- The median age is 31.4. 20.8% of the population is under 15 and 8.3% is 65 or older.
- How does Malaysia compare within Asia?
- By total population, Malaysia ranks #18 of 51 in Asia and #45 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.