Malaysia
Urban population in Malaysia
Urban population in Malaysia: 20.6% in 1950 and 77.4% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 77.4%
- Since 1950
- +56.8 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 74 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 91%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 91% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 77.4 |
| 2024 | 76.9 |
| 2023 | 76.4 |
| 2022 | 76 |
| 2021 | 75.5 |
| 2020 | 75.1 |
| 2019 | 74.8 |
| 2018 | 74.6 |
| 2017 | 74.2 |
| 2016 | 73.9 |
| 2015 | 73.4 |
| 2014 | 73 |
| 2013 | 72.5 |
| 2012 | 72 |
| 2011 | 71.4 |
| 2010 | 70.9 |
| 2009 | 70.3 |
| 2008 | 69.5 |
| 2007 | 68.8 |
| 2006 | 67.9 |
| 2005 | 67 |
| 2004 | 66.1 |
| 2003 | 65.1 |
| 2002 | 64.1 |
| 2001 | 63 |
| 2000 | 62 |
| 1999 | 60.9 |
| 1998 | 59.7 |
| 1997 | 58.5 |
| 1996 | 57.2 |
| 1995 | 55.9 |
| 1994 | 54.6 |
| 1993 | 53.2 |
| 1992 | 51.9 |
| 1991 | 50.5 |
| 1990 | 49 |
| 1989 | 47.4 |
| 1988 | 45.8 |
| 1987 | 44 |
| 1986 | 42.3 |
| 1985 | 40.6 |
| 1984 | 39 |
| 1983 | 37.5 |
| 1982 | 36.2 |
| 1981 | 35.1 |
| 1980 | 34.2 |
| 1979 | 33.6 |
| 1978 | 33 |
| 1977 | 32.4 |
| 1976 | 31.9 |
| 1975 | 31.4 |
| 1974 | 30.9 |
| 1973 | 30.5 |
| 1972 | 30.1 |
| 1971 | 29.8 |
| 1970 | 29.4 |
| 1969 | 29.1 |
| 1968 | 28.8 |
| 1967 | 28.5 |
| 1966 | 28.1 |
| 1965 | 27.8 |
| 1964 | 27.5 |
| 1963 | 27.2 |
| 1962 | 26.8 |
| 1961 | 26.5 |
| 1960 | 26.1 |
| 1959 | 25.7 |
| 1958 | 25.2 |
| 1957 | 24.7 |
| 1956 | 24.2 |
| 1955 | 23.7 |
| 1954 | 23.1 |
| 1953 | 22.5 |
| 1952 | 21.9 |
| 1951 | 21.3 |
| 1950 | 20.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 77.9 |
| 2027 | 78.4 |
| 2028 | 78.9 |
| 2029 | 79.4 |
| 2030 | 79.9 |
| 2031 | 80.4 |
| 2032 | 80.9 |
| 2033 | 81.4 |
| 2034 | 81.9 |
| 2035 | 82.4 |
| 2036 | 83 |
| 2037 | 83.5 |
| 2038 | 84 |
| 2039 | 84.6 |
| 2040 | 85.1 |
| 2041 | 85.7 |
| 2042 | 86.3 |
| 2043 | 86.8 |
| 2044 | 87.4 |
| 2045 | 88 |
| 2046 | 88.6 |
| 2047 | 89.2 |
| 2048 | 89.8 |
| 2049 | 90.4 |
| 2050 | 91 |
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Malaysia in numbers
Every measure for Malaysia on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$4.55B in 2025
- Military spending per person$138 in 2025
- Military share of state spending4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel136,000 people in 2020
- National power0.46% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.81% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports7 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports20 million TIV in 2024