Explore how urbanization has developed in Malaysia through data on urban population, population share and annual urban growth.
The urban population of Malaysia reached 27,845,005 in 2025, representing 76.9% of the country’s total population. Urban population changed by +9.5% over five years and +21.4% over ten years. Annual urban population growth was 1.8% in 2025.
In the common comparison year 2024, Malaysia ranked 69th of 217 economies by urban population share and 79th of 217 by annual urban population growth.
Malaysia Urban Population and Growth by Year
Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators — Urban population (SP.URB.TOTL); Urban population, % of total population (SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS); Urban population growth, annual % (SP.URB.GROW); Population, total (population).
License: CC BY-4.0. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
About the Indicators
Urban population. The number of people living in areas classified as urban under each country’s own national statistical definition, which varies from country to country.
Urban population, % of total population. The share of a country’s population living in urban areas, based on national definitions of what counts as urban.
Urban population growth, annual %. The annual growth rate of the urban population, reflecting both natural increase and migration from rural to urban areas.