Explore how Malaysia’s population structure has changed over time, with demographic data broken down by age and sex.
Review the age and gender distribution of Malaysia's population and compare demographic changes over time.
As of 2025, Malaysia's population stands at approximately 35,977,838 people. Over the past five years it has grown by +6.16%, and over the past ten years by +15.19%.
Malaysia ranks 45th of 217 countries by total population, and 93rd by five-year population growth. Growth momentum is currently decelerating (+1.65% → +1.20% per year).
By gender, male residents make up the larger share of the population, at 52.3% (47.7% female vs 52.3% male).
By broad age group, the working-age (15-64) group accounts for the largest share of the population: 21.3% are under 15, 70.7% are aged 15-64, and 8.0% are aged 65 and above.
The share of the population under 15 is currently falling, and peaked at 46.6% in 1964.
The share of the population aged 60 and above has been rising, from 4.7% in 1960 to 11.9% in 2025.
Population of Malaysia by Year: Total, Gender and Broad Age Groups
Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators — Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL); population by gender (SP.POP.TOTL.MA.IN, SP.POP.TOTL.FE.IN); population by broad age group (SP.POP.0014.TO, SP.POP.1564.TO, SP.POP.65UP.TO). License: CC BY-4.0. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
Malaysia Population by Five-Year Age Cohorts and Gender
Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators — Population by five-year age groups and sex (SP.POP.0004.MA … SP.POP.80UP.FE). License: CC BY-4.0. Retrieved 2026-07-10.