Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Population growth (annual %) (World Population) was 1.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Malaysia, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Malaysia stood at 1.2%.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 32.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Malaysia peaked at 3.3% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2021.
That places Malaysia 91st out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.6% | — |
| 1962 | 2.6% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 2.6% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 2.6% | -0.7% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | -1.8% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | -2.4% |
| 1967 | 2.4% | -4.9% |
| 1968 | 2.3% | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 2.3% | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 2.3% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | +3.4% |
| 1972 | 2.4% | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 2.4% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 2.4% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 2.4% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 2.8% | +15.6% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | +13.6% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 3.2% | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 3.1% | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 3.0% | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -4.5% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | -6.0% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 2.3% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 2.2% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 2.0% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 1.9% | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -16.5% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -13.6% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 1.2% | -3.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 1.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%, 2.5× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 1.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.6%, 1.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More climate change data for Malaysia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 621.79 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,551 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,936 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,616 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 93.41 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,214 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,641 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,573 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.74 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Malaysia?
- Population growth in Malaysia was 1.2% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 1985.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2021.
- How does Malaysia rank for population growth?
- Malaysia ranks 91st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.