Which has higher population in largest city, Malaysia or Saudi Arabia?

Malaysia, at 9.00 million against 7.95 million in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.

What is the difference in population in largest city between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia?

1.05 million, with Malaysia ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Saudi Arabia?

66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Malaysia vs Saudi Arabia: Population in largest city

Malaysia

9.00 million

in 2025

Saudi Arabia

7.95 million

in 2025

Malaysia rank

26th

Saudi Arabia rank

29th

Population in largest city over time

Malaysia
Saudi Arabia

How they compare

Malaysia currently reports 9.00 million against 7.95 million in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 1.05 million.

That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Malaysia ahead.

Malaysia ranks 26th and Saudi Arabia ranks 29th of 153 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 4 and Saudi Arabia in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Malaysia	Saudi Arabia	Difference	Ahead
1960s	389,558	231,830	157,728	Malaysia
1970s	651,841	679,820	27,979	Saudi Arabia
1980s	1.41 million	1.54 million	137,124	Saudi Arabia
1990s	2.93 million	2.96 million	27,136	Saudi Arabia
2000s	4.87 million	4.24 million	630,012	Malaysia
2010s	6.77 million	6.13 million	632,744	Malaysia
2020s	8.51 million	7.60 million	908,578	Malaysia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population in largest city, Malaysia or Saudi Arabia?: Malaysia, at 9.00 million against 7.95 million in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
What is the difference in population in largest city between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia?: 1.05 million, with Malaysia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Saudi Arabia?: 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
How do Malaysia and Saudi Arabia rank globally for population in largest city?: Malaysia ranks 26th and Saudi Arabia ranks 29th of 153 countries.
Where does this data come from?: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malaysia vs Saudi Arabia: Population in largest city. Statizoid, drawing on World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://urban.statizoid.com/compare/population-in-largest-city/malaysia/saudi-arabia/

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<a href="https://urban.statizoid.com/compare/population-in-largest-city/malaysia/saudi-arabia/">Malaysia vs Saudi Arabia: Population in largest city</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Population in largest city
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 153 places, 10,098 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.