Population density in Malaysia
Malaysia: Population density was 106.91 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
106.91 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
97th
of 215 countries
All-time high
106.91 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
24.85 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Malaysia, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 106.91 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Malaysia peaked at 106.91 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 24.85 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Malaysia ranks 97th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 24.85 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 25.51 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 26.18 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 26.87 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 27.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 28.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 28.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 29.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 30.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 30.98 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 31.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 32.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 33.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 34.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 34.92 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 35.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 36.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 37.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 38.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 39.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 40.78 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 42.1 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 43.48 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 44.92 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 46.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 47.97 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 49.54 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 51.12 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 52.7 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 54.28 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 55.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 57.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 58.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 60.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 61.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 63.46 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 65.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 66.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 68.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 69.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 71.61 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 73.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 75.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 76.87 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 78.64 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 80.41 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 82.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 83.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 85.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 87.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 88.76 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 90.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 91.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 93.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 95.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 96.76 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 98.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 100.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 101.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 103.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 104.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 105.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 106.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27.56 people per sq. km of land area | 24.85 people per sq. km of land area | 30.28 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 34.59 people per sq. km of land area | 30.98 people per sq. km of land area | 38.44 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 45.86 people per sq. km of land area | 39.52 people per sq. km of land area | 52.7 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 61.19 people per sq. km of land area | 54.28 people per sq. km of land area | 68.29 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.76 people per sq. km of land area | 69.91 people per sq. km of land area | 85.6 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.38 people per sq. km of land area | 87.22 people per sq. km of land area | 101.78 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 105 people per sq. km of land area | 103.15 people per sq. km of land area | 106.91 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 94 Slovakia 112.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 95 Turkey 110.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 96 Austria 110.66 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 98 Cuba 106.17 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 99 Slovenia 105.31 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 100 Armenia 105.12 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Malaysia
- Population in the largest city 32.3% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2502 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 9.00 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 2.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 26.24 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 9.00 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 19.2 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 314.15 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Malaysia?
- Population density in Malaysia was 106.91 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 106.91 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.85 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank for population density?
- Malaysia ranks 97th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.